Vishous and Butch - Savior and Dhestroyer
by Ejostra
Summary: Vishous and Butch were always meant for each other, but their path seems to be the hardest fight in their lives. Can V open up enough to let someone in? Will they survive Omega s wicked plans for getting rid of them both in the twisted way possible? At the end they can mean a death for each other. Help can come from everywhere. Even from hell in the form of Bloodletter.
1. Chapter 1

A man dressed in a long black robe was lying in the middle of the alley motionlessly. One and half hour passed till the first person came by giving him only a quick look and turning away to whatever nightclub he was originally heading to.

It took another 20 minutes for a man to slowly open his eyes and stand up, confused and with throbbing pain in his head.  
He stumbled. Once. Twice.  
But then he found his stability and squeezed a knife in his hand. His only weapon. He smiled to himself and said something sarcastic clearly amazed by the sound of his own voice. He took just a few steps, still a little dizzy and collected his thoughts. He had no clue where he was actually trying to go, when the wind brought to him a familiar smell of sweetness.  
Maybe this world was a big unknown for him, but that one thing he could recognize immediately. It was the smell of danger, violence and fight. Everything he was once made of.

Three damned souls appeared in front of him. There was no real time to think it over. Their skin was pale as a moon above the weird group. The familiar feeling got into man´s veins as he acted on a pure instinct, grabbed a knife, split one from another and started to play - the well known music of destruction ran in his veins wildly.

Hell, it felt good to be alive.  
Only one still remained and a man was covered in black blood. Everything seemed so quick.  
They stood in front of each other, man staring at the lesser as he slowly reached for something hidden in his cloak.  
"What? Do you think you can take me down with that?"  
It had no blade. A small ridiculous metal thing.  
"Yes, actually, I do."

There was too little time to move away, to realize what man had done was stupid. He didn´t know about all dangers that could possible appear. He didn´t know where he was. He didn´t know anything.  
He cursed under his breath. The trigger was pulled and a bullet found its home.  
The man fell to his knees.

OOO

"Hey, cop, that´s enough. We´ll use daggers now."  
V was standing above a sitting person with one hand on Butch´s shoulder supporting him a little so he won´t go down right on his face.  
"Jus… one… more."  
His eyes were half closed and he swallowed hard as he talked. Two more filthy bodies lay on the filthy ground in front of them. One with three gunshots and one bleeding from every inch of his body. Butch had already three inside, but damn he could do more. He had to do more.  
"Why the hell we have to do this all the time? You look like shit. I´m taking you home, so yell on me there, if you like."  
"No… pleas, let me…"  
"Vishous is right, man," a blond male marched in front of them with a black shining blade in his hand, "we´ll be here tomorrow, so will they. Let´s quit it and go home."  
There was no place for a response from Butch. Rhage did his thing in a two heartbeats. Not enough time for the cop even make up his words.  
"Come on, I´ll help you up."  
"I can… do it."  
"The fuck you can. Give me your hand."

Butch´s legs were like two jello pieces, when he stood up. He damn well knew that he was crazy stubborn, but he tried to lean on V only when it was necessary. And that was… well, almost all the time as they were slowly moving towards the Escalade.  
Fuck, there had to be all colors of rainbow dancing on his face and his stomach was twisting to the point, he had to stop for a while every few seconds and take a deep breath.  
He felt like crap.  
Very rough night.  
And the reason wasn´t just that he had a three stinking lessers in his body. So much time had passed since the first motherfucker was inhaled and still he couldn´t do more than three. No progress had been made. It was Butch´s role to take those little shits down for good and he was failing that mission. Tomorrow because of his weakness could someone innocent be dead or hurt.  
Rhage, Z, Phury or…

"V, wait."  
"What?"  
"I think… I´m going to be sick."

Butch rested with his back on the wall bent in his waist. Breathing like he had just ran a marathon there and back.  
Puke or not. It was the damn time to decide.  
"Cop?"  
Butch´s eyes found V´s concerned face.  
"I… good."  
Ok, no puke. Definitely.  
He heard a ringing in his ears all night long, so after he finally maned up and found his stability few minutes later, he didn´t quiet catch a sound of fired shot till V turned around and looked suspiciously somewhere behind.

"What was that?" asked Rhage, frozen in the place.  
"Don´t know."  
"A gang?"  
Rhage wrinkled his nose.  
"But the smell… It could be cop´s."  
Butch looked up with a frown.  
"No offense," added Rhage quickly nodding in the same time towards the place they had just left. "But it´s stronger. Should I take a look?"  
"Yeah, I´ll wait here with Butch."  
"We… can go."  
"You sure?"  
Butch pushed himself away from the wall and let Vishous take his arm and put it around his neck. End of heroism. He needed to lie down or he was surely going to faint like a princess.

"Rhage you go first. Call, if it´s something for us."  
There was no need to tell him twice. He was already on his feet running. Butch focused on taking small steps, one after another and he would never change that slow but undoubtedly safe approach, if the second shot wasn´t fired not so far in the dark – overwhelming sign that something was really wrong and with Rhage alone finding out what.  
Butch took a glimpse on his friend, who was nothing but worried. However he didn´t say a word while his eyes were running from an alley to Butch in circles. He knew what was going on in that genius head of his.  
"You can go. I´ll be… fine." Well, it didn´t sound so good coming from his mouth.  
There was a quick flash of doubt on V´s face.  
"Really go."

Few seconds have passed and Vishous pushed one of his guns into Butch´s hand with a visible discomfort.  
"You don´t stop, you hear me? Come slowly, if there is any danger I will shoot twice in the air as soon as possible, and you stay right where you are, am I clear?"  
"Perfect clear."  
Butch tried to give him a little smile to ensure him that he will be fine on his own, but failed completely.

He watches as V turned towards an alley and was gone in less than three seconds. There was cursing firstly in his mind and then aloud. He so much hated the state he was in. The feeling of being useless since the times he was human was always there, prepared to give him another punch in his guts in any opportunity.  
His effort to walk faster was actually just a little more than how snail would move. Everything around him was quiet for some time, perfectly calm and he couldn´t decide if it´s good or bad. The wind was blowing to his back in some crazy attempts to help him proceeding.  
Just wait for the squirrel's arrival and you can re-name yourself as Snow white, you wreck.

Then suddenly one great roar cut the air in two pieces and Butch stopped, although he´d been told not to.  
He knew only one thing with that kind of voice and he really hoped not see it any time soon.

Two shots then echoed from the dark.

OOO

Vishous put his gun after his warning had been done on the ground next to a bleeding man. There were no bullets left in it, so he wasn´t afraid the man could use that against him at least not in the state he was in. And he somehow didn´t seem like enemy with two dead lessers ripped from head to toe.  
"Hey, are you with me?"  
A soft groan escaped from man´s lips as he shivered, but nothing more.  
V searched for a wound alarmed with a quantum of blood on the ground.

It went close to a heart, but with a little of luck hadn´t damaged lungs.  
"Hey, I´m going to press to the wound, don´t pass out, ok?"  
Vishous took another moan as an agreement. He torn off a piece of his T-shirt, which wasn´t soaked with black blood while looking sideways for Rhage´s beast. Cause hell the last thing he wanted was to be accidentally eaten.  
The look was pretty much disturbing. They needed to move. Fast. The lessers were spreading from the dark like plaque.  
"Rhage, could you end it, please?"  
The beast maybe didn´t hear him or more probably ignored him in its crazy killing spree, but V already counted with the option. He bent to a lying man and gave him a slap on his face.  
"Come on, buddy. You have to wake up. Have to help me."  
Nothing.  
Slap.  
"Hey, open your eyes."  
The man suddenly blinked. Confused. In pain.  
"Yeah, that´s right. Don´t fall asleep. I need you to hold this for me. Here… You´re doing good. Just press, ok?"  
V tried to move his hand, when it was finally safe, but the blood almost immediately poured from the wound in a big stream.  
"Fuck."  
"Hey, I… can do it."  
Butch came from behind on unsteady legs and dropped to his knees… or fell. One way or another he was prepared to do a nurse job instead of V and put his hands around the cloth.  
"Just hurry. This is really… not good for my stomach." They both turned their faces towards the sound of beast´s cries and saw a body swayed to the ground, no lessers nearby. "Perhaps not a lucky day for us. Try not to be hit by meteor on your way back."  
Vishous grinned.  
"I´ll do my best."  
He made a stop by throwing his jacket around Rhage´s shivering form and run for the Escalade. This was a really terrible day.

OOO

Everything was coming back to him in slowly waves. First the feeling of air fulfilling his lungs, then his own lazy heartbeating and extremely sore throat. The urgent need to open his eyes was last.  
The man had no idea how he got from a dark street he remembered to a white room and on the some kind of table. His first thought was that he was dead and came once again to Scribe Virgin only to be sent back to the hell she had released him from. That would be disappointing considering he had spent in this bloody world only 15 minutes.

However it wasn´t that woman´s face he saw, when he made himself focus. It was the man from the street. The one with a red cap and black raven hair, the one who had been giving him the damn hard time out there.  
"Hey, you´re awake finally."  
He had a blood on the left side of his face, probably more under the mask he was wearing and was still dressed in the black leather. But nothing more could be detected when the picture was all blurry and unstable.  
"Manello, could you go find Phury? I think our patient is going to be hungry."  
Another man came into his view, but disappeared a moment later.

He tried to move a little because of an unpleasant ache in his back. It wasn´t a good idea. He almost passed out again gasping for air.  
"Whoaaa, what are you doing? Don ´t you dare to tear that fucking stitches. I was working on them for two damn hours."  
The patient kept his eyes locked on that angry face, but suddenly realized that it was more exhausted than angry. The other man hadn´t gone to change, had not washed blood from his face more likely because he was busy with saving his life.

But why? He didn´t understand.

As soon as his breathing went to normal, he tried to form a quiet thank you. His first ever as long as he remembered. New times – new ways.  
A doctor seemed to get it.  
"Well, you´re welcome, now don´t move until I say so or I´m gonna let you bleed out."  
With that kind of attitude the injured man would wanted that person on his side better than not.  
"I´ll give you something for the pain, you may feel a little high or sleepy. Don´t fight with that."  
A man blinked twice and then moved his hand a little to catch the doctor´s attention.  
"No… drugs…"  
The vampire watched him closely.  
"I know what you mean, I don ´t like it either. But you need this. You need to sleep and get stronger until we´ll bring you a Chosen to feed. Maybe it doesn´t hurt much now, but it will be, trust me."

From all information, the one which caught his interest was at the end the most irrelevant one.  
"A Chosen?" he asked with a hoarse voice and surprised.  
"Yes, but don´t think of much. You really don ´t want to piss of her primal." There was a small smile, but the warning was made and understood.  
"Now I´m going to give you the drug, don´t freak out."

The lucid liquid was injected fast right into his vein. It had to be strong. He was feeling dizzy while only looking. The doctor took of his hat and released short black hair going longer on both sides of his head, then he removed the mask.  
"What is your name by the way?"  
The injured man watched him with his eyes narrowed. Something was really off. He could feel it. What was it?  
Finally doctor turned to the left putting his gloves away, but one from leather still remained. The patient looked into man´s face and held his breath.  
There was a tattoo.  
Black ink from eyebrow to temple and cheek.  
Words he knew well.  
Words which came from his own mind.  
A curse.  
"Vis…hous."  
"Nah," was his response, "that´s my name. I asked about yours. I think the drugs are already kicking in."  
"Vis…hous," repeated the injured man blinking hard while fighting not to fall asleep.  
"Don ´t force yourself. You can tell me later."  
He was holding to consciousness with all his willpower, but soon feeling unable to do it any longer, his eyelids came down in quiet defeat.

It seems you have sent me on the right place after all.

The man´s last thought, till he was unmercifully drowned in the darkness, belonged to his name. The one he could not say out loud anymore. Because now he found him. He found Vishous, son of the Bloodletter. His son.

* * *

WARNING: I´m not a native english speaker - means that there is a big chance you find a lot of mistakes, also my vacabulary has some big holes, please be nice and patient. I´m always learning :). And let me know if you like the story, if I should continue. Thank you a lot :)


	2. Chapter 2

"And I´m telling you, I didn´t know what the hell was going on in his head with that stinking lesser pointing at him with the gun. Did he thought it was a fucking banana?" Rhage shook his head in disbelief and look up again to his audience.  
"After all, I saved him, of course. And he didn´t even say thank you."  
"When should has he done that, Hollywood? While he was bleeding out or before we removed a bullet from his chest?" Vishous asked not fully interested in the conversation, but not been able to remain quiet either, when Rhage was once more performing in front of Phury and Zsadist.  
"It was a plenty time for that in the escalade. He wasn´t completely unconscious there."  
"How could you know, flower? You were out as well," spoke Butch with the stick pointed to the red ball. A small pam and curse was heard and then V moved closer to the pool looking for a better position.

Rhage saw forming smiles on faces of the two males sitting on the sofa and frowned.  
"Maybe I was little off, but still I had eaten all those bastards, so who can judge me?"  
"Didn´t you just say that it was only one lesser there?" asked Phury suspiciously.  
"Yes, firstly," added Rhage quickly, "but then came more, about hundred."  
"Of course, Hollywood," admitted Z with a little of ignorance and turned to two men playing a game. "Who is he, V?"  
"Have no idea. I asked about his name when he woke up, but he was somehow distracted, so I let it be."  
"He was built like a warrior." Butch thought about it for a second and then added: "and wore a black robe."  
"He also took down two lessers with just a knife… The knife which looked pretty much like spoon. And Rhage, he actually did thank me for saving his life."  
"W.H.A.T?!"  
Vishous tried to block Rhage´s yelling and continue with game, but it was too hard even for him.  
"Just shut up already, brother, I´m losing my bet because of you."  
"No, no," interjected Butch, "just go on. And think also while yelling. Loud."  
"What is in the bet?"  
"Money, I´ll give you half."  
"Really?"  
"Yes, he will give you," V confirmed him, "it´s all about his pride."

Butch gave him a really nasty look, but didn´t tried to state otherwise.  
"I´ll give you the whole sum, just stop for god´s sake." A dark figure appeared in the doorway with a panoramic glasses and golden Retriever next to his feet. "How can a blind man move around the house, when there´s nothing but your shouting everywhere."  
Wrath stood there analyzing who was in the room. "Come into my office, all of you."  
"You see, Hollywood? That´s all your fault," somebody uttered. Only Vishous was more than happy to leave the fucked up game like it was.

In the office they all took their usual places. Rhage was leaning on the wall with a lollipop in his mouth, Phury and Zsadist next to each other on the opposite side and Vishous with Butch threw themselves on the couch.  
The blind king´s voice was calm, when he started to talk, but something in his posture was signaling that whatever he is going to say, it isn´t pleasant for him and neither will be for any man in the room: "Few minutes ago I was paid a visit from Scribe Virgin."  
Suddenly there were a lot of quiet curses flying in the air.

The only one who remained still and without a word was V. Butch gave him a concerned look.  
"I´m going to make it quick. The mother of our race is thinking that we need a help. There is only five of you who are capable of fight on the streets and although we have many recruits, they aren ´t prepared and I think they won´t be in a near future."  
That meant a big NO for the boys… John Matthew, Qhuinn and Blaylock. Butch liked them. They were such a good material, however he truly got what was on Wrath´s mind. Don´t push kids in all the mess, if there is still time for more learning.  
"Who should it be? You can´t make a warrior from a glymera." It was a surprise for a king that the one who spoke was Zsadist.  
"No, that is true. But we were already sent a warrior."  
"It´s that man." V´s voice was like a whisper, he didn´t even look at the king.  
Wrath nodded. "Indeed. The Scribe Virgin sent us a help, because she thinks something is up on the other side. According to her words, Omega prepares something big."  
"And she thinks we can´t handle it?" Rhage chewed his lollipop hard like it was helping him to control his emotions.  
"It´s her wish Rhage, we have no right to disobey. We won´t make him a brother and he won´t stay permanently."  
"I don´t like it," Z supported Rhage´s opinion, so did his brother.  
"Neither do I," joined them Butch. "We don´t know anything about him."

There was a brief pause for one breath in and out, then Wrath turned his attention towards Vishous.  
"You? What do you think?"  
Vishous seemed to be deep in thoughts so far, but he did reply almost immediately: "I think that in whatever is my mother involved, we should back off. However we don´t have that option this time. So let´s keep an eye on that man. We can always kick him out later."  
Wrath was obviously glad that at least somebody understood their situation.  
"Good. When he will be able to fight, we then decide how we´ll use him. For now try to behave, most of all it is meant for you, Rhage. We don´t need another visit from Scribe Virgin."  
"What is his name, anyway?"

Wrath took a deep breath. "You can ask him. He is a warrior from an old age. He was held for a long time in the Scribe Virgin´s closet like a backup, now came his time to return here."  
"So he did die? Is he a wahlker?"  
"No." A quick and hard response made Vishous again present in the meeting.  
"If he isn´t then he has a debt."  
"You can say so. But it´s not our business. Let´s end it here, my head is starting to hurt. Just go and do as usual. Phury, Z you are on a patrol tonight."  
The two named brothers nodded and quickly left the room. Rhage was next.  
"Hold on, I want to talk to you, Butch. V can wait outside."

Vishous found eyes of his friend as to asking if it´s alright, like he could stand against Wrath if Butch would say so. Idiot.  
"I´ll be right back."  
After the door were shut, Wrath run a hand through the dog´s fur.  
"I heard what happened yesterday."  
Cop didn´t move, just stared at the king. He knew what this conversation will be about. Fuck.  
"I want you to know that what you are doing night after night on the streets is enough. You don´t have to push your limits. No brother will ever think that you are not doing enough, you hear me?"  
"I hear you."  
"No, I mean it, Butch. Those fucking lessers aren´t worth your health not talkin´about your life. One more or one less, it doesn´t matter as far as you are ok and able to fight again."  
"Did Vishous ask you to talk to me?"

Wrath frowned a little.  
"Everybody asked me to talk to you. But yes, Vishous was insisting on this conversation some time ago. He is worried. We all are."  
"You don´t have to be. I know what I can take. If I have thought, there is no chance to improve, I wouldn´t try, believe me." Butch words sound rational, but he knew it wasn´t enough to convince the king. This reasoning led to no end and they both were aware of it.  
"Just be careful. Don´t tell V I told you this, but I can see the bond he made to you. He was never so close to anyone. If something happens to you, I´m afraid, he won´t make it. So think about it when you´re out in the streets."

Butch left the office with a weird heavy feeling on his chest. The king´s last words echoed in his head like a storm. He knew that Vishous was worried about him, but he never considered… What? That he would be hurt, if Butch got things too much to the edge? Of course, he would be hurt. Butch would be the same on his place.  
"Are you mad at me?"  
"No." And it was true.  
"You sure?"  
"Would you like me to be mad?"  
"No, but it would be at least something. You don´t talk about this lesser stuff with me."  
A smile formed on Butch´s lips, when he opened them up to say: "Wrath gave me enough dontpush-youredoinggood for years. It´s not like I don´t want to talk about it. I just don ´t think it is a problem. I know you all care, but I can´t stop trying to be more useful. I just can´t."  
"You have to prove yourself."  
"Yes, exac… No, I mean no… I… shit…"

Butch ran with his hand through his hair desperately.  
"I m just sill fitting in. I don ´t want you to think that you made a mistake by giving me all of this. Giving me home."  
Vishous stared at him for a long time till he finally made up his answer.  
"I like my choices. I like even my mistakes. So whether it was a good idea or not, you are part of it now. Nobody and nothing can take that from you."  
He then turned to the tunnel slowly walking away.

"You can´t say something like this and then just leave," Butch yelled after him.  
"I thought you wanted to beat me at the pool."  
Butch started to run with a huge grin.  
"The hell I want."

OOO

Wrath, son of Wrath made his way to the Underground alone fully trusting his four-legs friend. He was angry, damn a lot, but covered it under the mask of stone, so whoever may see him could only tell he is not in the mood. He still couldn´t believe what had the Scribe Virgin made him to do. He lied to his brothers, he lied to his family and more likely he will lie again to Beth. And for what?

Wrath entered the room full of voices and remained still. Doctor Manello, Phury and Chosen Layla were all there and the smell of blood was hanging heavily in the air.  
"My king," Phury greeted him first, then Layla and doctor uttered a quick hello still not sure how to act around him.  
"Is it done?"  
"Yes. I was going to lead Layla right away."  
"So do so. Thank you for your service, Layla. And Manello, you go as well."  
"Alright. If anything happens, just call."

The king moved inside in the middle of the room waiting patiently. The first moment, when the sound of footsteps faded away, he began.  
"I know about you, Bloodletter, son of Nobody and I came here to talk to you." A small pause was made, in which the man in the bed bowed his head a little.  
"It is… my… pleasure…" The voice was weak and shaky, but somehow also strong. It made Wrath curious what the person in front of him looked like.  
He continued: "The Scribe Virgin requested your staying here in the mansion of the Brotherhood. I may suggest that you would like to fight with my brothers as soon as you recover."  
"Yes, indeed."  
"For that was made a decision. You are allowed to do that under my command. But I have to warn you. One mistake and you´re out. You dare to endanger any member of my family and I´ll kill you with my bare hands, am I clear?"  
"Yes."  
"Good."  
"May I… see…"  
The furious cough stopped his next words, so Wrath waited.  
"May I see… my son again?"  
"Oh, about that. No. I do not know what secret mission the Scribe Virgin gave you, but I know one thing. During your staying here you won´t be seeing Vishous any more than it is necessary to avoid suspicion. You won ´t talk to him, search for him or even be in his presence."  
"That… would be… a problem."  
Wrath took one step forward and the room around him darkened.  
"I think you don´t understand. I don ´t know what were the manners when you were in this world last time, but now you will do as I say. I am the king and you won´t dare to doubt my orders, are we fucking clear?

The silence wasn´t the answer Wrath wanted.  
"Are we?"  
"Yes."  
"Later I will send to you our doggen. His name is Fritz, he will explain to you rules of the house. Try to be rude and I will kill you again."

He was about to leave, because he wasn´t really trusting his self-control so much to stay any longer. Every brother knew about V´s life in the camp, it wasn´t any secret thanks to those damn tattoos but no one knew how far it had gone. No one except Wrath.  
He still remembered the fury he felt when he got the full story. He had wanted to kill the motherfucker. Bad thing he was already dead.  
Now? He was here, but on the same time untouchable. Fuck that.  
"I have one… question."  
Wrath stopped his move for a door and turned towards the voice.  
"Say it."  
"Is he a doctor?"  
"Who?"  
"My… son."  
Wrath had to laugh.  
"A doctor? No. He knows how to save people, but is a lot of better in killing. He is a brother. If you would be any other man, I would congratulate you and tell you, you should be proud, but I won´t, because you are one disgusting sonofabitch."

With those words he was gone and Bloodletter was left in the room. Doctor who took care about his wound came soon after with two sacks of yellow liquid in his hands.  
"You´re here one day man, and you already pissed him of. How´s that possible?" he asked.  
"Natural… talent."  
"Huh, tell me about it."  
Bloodletter thought about the conversation he had with a Scribe Virgin. She didn´t mention any help from her, so he wondered if this was only a coincidence. She sent him here because she knew something he didn´t. And when she had asked him if he wanted to come back, he said yes. Then she asked why.  
"Anything is better than nothingness. And because I want a forgiveness."  
She just smiled.  
"From our son? Good luck with that."


	3. Chapter 3

It was a little after midnight and the whole mansion was deathly quiet, except the place where three drunken vampires were holding onto each other, tumbling forward and laughing in the dark.  
"Hey, where the fuck are we? Do ya know, Rhagi?" Butch voice sounded a little higher and his Boston accent was stronger than usual. Vishous couldn´t help himself.  
"Ya look so damn hotttt, talkin´ like this," he said imitating him just perfect with bright smile showing all his teeth.  
"Yea, I know. Don´t think much, honeeeey, I´m gonna sleep alone tonight."  
Rhage squeezed them both with his big arms, taking advantage of his position in the middle.  
"Stop flirting, darlings. I´m trying to find out, which way leads to the gym. Can some of you switch on the damn lights for me?"  
"Sorry, man," refused Butch, "I can´t let go of you, or I´m going to the ground."  
"Same here, Hollywood. Try to use your sixth sense."

The three of them continued their pity way till the first door appeared on the left with a little of light inside and Rhage nodded towards it.  
"Light is a good sign. Let´s go there. It had to be there."  
They did realize that they can´t go all on the same time only, really… when they fell on the hard floor one after another.  
"Fuck that, I think I just broke my fucking arm."  
"Rhage, get of me. I can´t breathe."  
"I´m not on you, cop."

They tried to put their shits together reaching in the dark, but ended laughing again only few meters deeper inside.  
"I think, we should fin… ugh…" Rhage didn´t end his though because of the sudden light blinding him completely. As his eyes got used to the change few seconds later he looked up, finding his friends doing the same and one person lying on the bed with a hand on the hanged bottom was eyeing him back.  
"Eh, this doesn´t look like gym, Rhage."  
"No, cop," said blonde male while he was ridiculously pulling himself up, "it´s better. I want my deserved thank you now, when we are here, all of us fully conscious." He turned on V with a smile.  
"I already told you, he did thank me."

"Hey guys," Butch got on his feet with a little of V´s help, "if he should thank someone, it should be me."  
The man on the bed was just starring at them, half confused, half amused, when Butch decided to continue: "You ran for a fucking car and you were out cold. I was the one who did the most important job."  
"What the hell is happening here?" Manello suddenly appeared behind their backs dressed in a white coat and with a fury line across his face.  
"Nothing much, doc. We are looking for a gym, any idea where it is?"  
"Are you drunk, Hollywood?"  
"No," all of them answered at the same time and then stayed quiet. That earned his trust, really...

"You are, all of you. How that for god´s sake happened?"  
"Women are out. Butch is very bad pool player. For every lose he had to drink a bottle of vodka," explained Rhage quickly not bothering with complicating things.  
"How much bottles?"  
"Seven," answered Vishous grinning.  
"And he did drink this all?"  
"No, of course, not. We helped him. We´re friends."  
"Oh, sure," said Manello, "friends." Then he turned to patient and back. "What about now you go to your rooms, guys, sleep this of? I doubt Marry will be happy to find you in this state, Rhage."  
"I just want… to show… these idiots few things in the… gym, man." Rhage was overpowered by hiccups, but still continued like he didn´t notice. "Just show us… the way and we´re… gone."

Even the man on the bed was lightly smiling after he ended with his troubled speech.  
"No gym for tonight. I don´t need to care about your broken heads. Anyway you…"  
Vishous suddenly pointed his finger in the middle of doctor´s chest interrupting him: "Hey, don´t think you can talk to us like that. I don´t care you mated my sister, I can still kick your ass."  
Manello opened his mouth and hell, it wasn´t any pleasing words on their way out, but in the same moment Butch stepped between them.  
"Hey, stop this now. Don´t need another fight, we´re going anyway, right V?"

Manny watched Vishous with narrowed eyes. He could be one scary bastard, if he wanted, but there was no chance Manello would back off so easily. ´though he knew he would have no real chance against him and that hand of his drunk or not.  
"V?" Butch sounded all rational like he sobered up in two seconds. There was something special in the way he stood in front of the brother, just as he was shielding him. Who the hell needed a protection here?  
Few seconds there was only silence.  
"Yes, we´re going, Rhage?"  
"Yeah, shh, we… don´t want to wake… Wrath up."  
"He isn´t sleeping, Hollywood. He´s in the office."  
"Another good… reason, why we shouldn´t… wake him up."

Manello watched them tumbling out into the tunnel and heading to the direction opposite to the gym. He hoped it was because Butch talked them out of whatever stupidness they wanted to do there.  
"Hey, doctor. Mind to help me?"  
Manello looked for the voice and found his patient hanging half of the bed with a painful expression on his face.  
"Hell, man, what are you doing?"  
He ran quickly and helped to settle him down, which was quite a challenge according to his 120 kg.  
"Wanted to go for a walk?" he asked while checking on the machines.  
"Wanted to help you."  
Manello stayed still with his hand on the monitor and looked on his patient with disbelief.  
"Are you serious?"  
"Yes."

He smiled then continued checking on the vital signs.  
"Well, I doubt it would be necessary. You spot that big guy? Brown hair, chocolate eyes, broken nose? We can´t have a real fight in his presence, he care too much."  
"He should. You are a human in the big vampire circle."  
Manello shook his head."No, I mean, he care too much for Vishous. They are best friend. He would not let him get into trouble, if he can avoid it."  
Manello thought a little and then added: "And he wouldn´t hurt me… for real… or… maybe yes, but I can still get my revenge, when he´ll need a treatment. I´m the only doctor here and he can´t always patch himself with vodka and bandage."  
"He does that often?"  
"Sometimes. When he gets an uncontrollable desire to avoid me."  
Manello stood in front of the bed.  
"You´re doing great by the way. If everything goes well, you´ll be on your feet in a few days and… don´t worry they aren´t always like this."  
"It is good to know."  
Manny nodded ready to return to his office. He started to get used to a night job and day rest with the house. His biorhythm must be really pissed off.  
And doctor?"  
"Yes?"  
"I know, this is a strange request, but can you get something for me?"  
After hearing what it was, Manny stayed confused. "Why the mirror?"  
"I want to see my face."  
"It isn´t damaged."  
"I know. Still, can you do that?"  
Manny could do that. It was nothing. Although he didn´t understand, he gave the man a small mirror he used in operations and left him alone in the room.  
Bloodletter held it in his hands for a long time, till he took a look and just how he expected it wasn´t his face looking back at him.

OOO

Butch threw himself on his bed with closed eyes and smiling.  
"I don´t really understand why ya always have to put a fight with ´im."  
He was really tired and his head… no, all body felt too damn heavy to move and settle properly.  
"I don´t have to, I want to. Who should I argue with? You? Or god save me, with Rhage?"

Butch was suddenly pulled out from his comfort zone to a sitting position and groaned.  
"I want to lie down, V."  
"You will."  
He took one of Butch´s boots and removed it and then another one and jacket.  
"You can´t really drink, cop."  
"That´s because my vampire genes are still in a slow progress of drinking issues, ya know? They are like babies. Growing bit by bit."

V´s lips formed a huge smile in the exact moment, when Butch decided to open his eyes and see it.  
His friend´s face was full of shadows, illuminated only by the light of candles in the room. It was somehow magical and dark. He wasn´t smiling just with his mouth, it was also in his eyes. It made Butch gazing for a few seconds amazed with only one thought on his mind.  
Fucking beautiful.  
"You know, when I look at you. You´re really handsome."  
He touched his chin softly lifting his head a little, not much thinking before the action.  
"I like when you smile like this, when you´re with me. It makes me feel special."

Vishous didn´t move nor did he breath and Butch thought for a second that maybe what he just said sounded stupid.  
"You are special."  
They stayed like this for a moment without feeling uncomfortable.  
"But I don´t like when you beat me up in pool. I was always a great player." They both laughed.  
"It´s calling hundreds of years of practice, cop."  
"That´s not fair."  
Both males were looking in each other's eyes. Their faces close enough to touch or…  
"No, it isn´t."  
Butch froze in the place. His mind, too slowly on processing of the gentle pressure on his lips. It gave up on giving him any nerve impulse of what was just happening. Only when he started to finally figure it out by himself, it was suddenly all gone. In a time of one heartbeat.  
Vishous pulled away with eyes running away… anywhere, but on the person sitting in front of him.  
"I´m… sorry. I…"  
He clealy didn´t know what to say. And neither did cop.  
"Just punch me already or whatever…" Don´t sit here like this.

Butch wasn´t moving, only starring at him and V realized that he needed to get out. There was not enough oxygen in the damn room. Fuck.  
A strong hand on his shoulder stopped him.  
Vishous looked up to his friend´s face, but couldn´t say anything as he was immediately grabbed by a back of his head and pulled into another kiss. With his eyes closed it was pure sensation. He could taste the alcohol and sweetness form other man´s lips, feel Butch´s fingers on his neck and heard his own heart pounding in his ears but still couldn´t quite believe it was real.  
Funny, he thought his heart stopped two minutes ago.

The kiss was slow but much deeper than the first one. It felt so natural and good that it was almost impossible to consider V had never kissed anybody like this in his whole life.  
When they finally parted, they were both breathing hard and Butch was holding V´s arm in the way like he was afraid, he would disappear at any time.  
"I´m not sure, you know, what you just did, cop."  
"I have no idea," Butch was gazing at him with that chocolate eyes of his full of emotions, he couldn´t understand.  
That was a fucking better reaction than V expected.  
"You want to stay?"  
Although that Butch was right now surely crazy in his head and totally confused, maybe also drunk-confident, he meant it. He wanted V by his side, even if it involved not being able to fall asleep from nervousness.  
"Nah, that´s ok. I´m heading into my room. We can talk tomorrow."  
"Yeah."  
Few minutes later Vishous was lying in his own bed and starring into darkness above him. He knew he crossed the line this time. He knew that maybe tomorrow everything will change. And he fucking knew that maybe he lost his bestfriend forever.  
Still he fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

The whole house was still asleep when Vishous entered the underground corridor not fully decided where exactly was his next stop. It could lead him anywhere, he didn´t care that much, so far it wasn´t too close to the Pit. During the night a lot of things actually happened in his head, few of them too real to just let go of him so easily. They were hunting him even now as he walked with his boots making almost no sound.  
He wasn´t afraid… No  
He just didn´t want to meet Butch at the moment or when he´ll wake up and realize that not kicking V´s ass yesterday was a huge mistake. He had his issues, but he wasn´t that kind of masochist, no hell…

There were few options what to do to avoid his cop, if not forever, maybe at least until their patrol tonight. Unexpectedly he liked the idea of starting a good morning argue with Manello much more than going to the gym or his small laboratory. They hadn´t quite ended the last one either thanks to Butch.  
Here we go. Make the mood.  
Forget. Forget. Forget.

Vishous stopped at the office door, but didn´t go in as he saw doctor Badass lying with his head on the desk and computer running some data he was surely working on till his brain realized he is a fucking human and decided to make him pass out for some time. Good choice. Maybe there are some useful cells in that head of his after all.  
Vishous backed off despite many silly things, which were right now running through his mind and instead entered the next-door room with a patient who was about to become their new backup in a few days. What the hell are you planning dear mother?

The man´s eyes were shut and he didn´t seem to be awake, when V took his medic card and searched for information.  
"Healing good…" he murmured under his nose, at the same time preparing a syringe with some painkillers and antibiotic. Next thing he pulled it into man´s IV without looking at his face, gaze locked on his arm instead. That was probably the reason, why he didn´t catch a moment as man´s eyes flicked open without a little recognition who was standing next to him and what was that person doing.  
"Hey!" Vishous almost dropped the fucking thing as the man´s other hand landed on his with a deadly squeeze.  
"It´s me. I´m giving you meds. Calm down."  
They were looking at each other for a long time without any progress happening.  
"Man, you have to let go of my hand. Now. Or you gonna lose yours."  
After that statement, man finally blinked… little confused, his jaw tightening hard as he slowly removed his hand and laid it back on the bed.  
"Sorry," he said with a harsh voice, then he coughed to clear it.  
"No need to apologize, just don´t do it again. I´m not a very touchy type."

For the first time he took a better look at the man he saved. His hair was middle length ending a little above his shoulders and black just as V´s. He was built like any of the brothers with a face of glymera´s finest, but still something about him was different. Something very disturbing. Vishous couldn´t read his mind no matter how hard he tried and that was alone good enough to be aware of the person.  
"What´s about the knife?"  
Vishous nodded towards the small table with a glass of water and piece of really sad weapon on it.  
"Is that the one you killed those lessers with?"  
"Yes," answered the man looking at the same spot as V, "it helped me. I would be dead if it´s not that knife."  
"You will need a better one in the streets."  
"Yes, indeed."  
"I can get you one," Vishous uttered the words amazed by finding a sudden solution of his Butch problem in something so simple. Get into workshop, get a bottle of vodka and his hands on something - that could keep his mind busy for some time.

He checked the man´s vitals and returned everything on its original place.  
"If you´ll need something, you have to yell loud, your doc is snoozing on his desk."

OOO

Butch didn´t know why he expected that hangovers will be a lot of easier when you´re a vampire… They weren´t. He had woken up with an urgent feeling to cut off his arms, so he won´t get that drunk ever again or more likely his head. Still it seemed he had no fucking brain in it.  
He knew pretty damn well how bets with Vishous always ended...  
He suddenly froze in the place he stood remembering what exactly had happened last night. His fingers automatically touched his lips.  
Fuck.  
Vishous kissed him.  
He kissed Vishous.  
They were both kissing and if he remembered correctly, he liked it. Few seconds passed and he found himself lost in the memory.

He entered the bathroom to wash his face a little but ended up with a hot shower instead. He took his time, not really hurying anywhere not even to think about what happened. While being in there he didn´t feel any presence in the Pit and that calmed him down. But it last only a moment - until he got out and just in the time, when he started to feel sick. He was kneeling beside the toilet, when somewhere behind him he heard a small click of door opening and hard steps taken towards the bathroom. Despite that V didn´t go in respecting Butch´s privacy, he knew that he was there keeping an eye on him.  
"Why aren´t you never like this?" asked Butch feeling a little bit better after he took some time only breathing and steadying himself. He didn´t feel akward. Not after puking and not after yestarday. He just couldn´t feel that way around Vishous.  
"Like I said, it´s just about practicing."  
He really said that… yesterday…  
Butch stood up. Ok, now or never. And better now than never.  
"Are we going to talk about it?" Of course, not on the fucking toilet.  
Vishous wasn´t really looking at him as he ran with his fingers through his dark hair, but Butch´s eyes stayed focused on that small gesture unable to look away.  
"We don´t have to. We can just…"  
"What? Forget?"

Butch came a little closer, so V had to look at him or made a distance between them. He took the first option.  
"Yes."  
Ok, it wasn´t the truth he didn´t think at all in the shower. Actually he was thinking a lot before V had appeared even when he didn´t really want to and that meant he was in some way sure about things he was going to say, or at least so sure how can a straight man who kissed another man can feel. He took a deep breath.

"That´s the thing… I don´t know if I want to forget."  
V was gazing at him so intensively that he could as well burn a hole in Butch´s head.  
"I mean… I don´t know… I´ve never was in such situation. But there is one thing I´m sure about. Yesterday I wanted it to happen. It wasn´t just you."  
V looked like he finally started to understand what was Butch trying to say so far. His hard face, which appeared every time he tried to cover his true emotions, was now filled with something cop couldn't quite analyze, but he liked the sight.

"I liked it. I know, I´m kinda confused right now, but we don´t have to act like nothing happened. Just take it slowly, ok? See, where it´ll come. I don´t know man, I´m so fucked up… I don´t really know… I don´t want to destroy our friendship or..."  
"Butch," something in V´s voice sounded like he was on the edge with nerves, "you were drunk."  
"So were you. Do you want to forget it? Because if you think it was a mistake, I won´t…"  
"Hell, no."  
Butch took another deep breath in.  
"Ok. So there is no need to avoid each other or feel awkward or whatever… True?" Because he wasn´t. Till now.  
"What about Marissa?"  
Oh.

"Look, she left me. I doubt she will come back now, when she is finally happy with her new life. I think I´m over it. Is that enough?"  
"Yes."

They were standing like this for some time without any words. For Butch it was like he said everything and nothing more was coming to his mind, but still turning away felt like bad idea for some reason. He accidentaly dropped his gaze to Vishous feet.  
"What about the bag? Are you moving out?" he asked trying for a teasing tone - the one, which should have lightened an atmosphere between them, except one thing. It didn´t. Because as the question was out it felt like he hit the target.  
"It is just some stuff I need for work. I thought you were still asleep, so I decided to make some good weapon for the new guy… He´ll need something in the streets anyway…"  
Suddenly Butch remembered his own dagger on the nightstand. The most precious work he´s ever saw. He felt the urgent need to thank the brother once again for such a gift, but didn´t want to make him feel uncomfortable. He decided not to, but something close to relief could be seen on his face.  
"Ok, don´t forget to show me, when you´re done."  
V grabbed the bag with his gloved hand.  
"Sure. You´re good?"  
Butch gazed at him like idiot.  
No, damn, I´m not good. I was never so confused in my life. You´re presence is overwhelming.  
I need…  
I don ´t know what I need.

And then suddenly he figured the secret meaning behind that question, which wasn´t so secret at all.  
"Oh, yeah, I don´t think I´m going to puke any time soon, you´re completely free to do your thing."  
V looked like he knew exactly what was going on in cop´s head using his mindreading skills or not, he just knew.  
He smiled.  
And it was that kind of smile telling don´t worry, we´ll figure this out, like we always do.

OOO

In the Underground Mannelo stood behind his desk looking for papers he carelessly dropped there last night, when the pair of small hands landed on his waist.  
"Hello, doctor. I need an examination, I am feeling a little bit cold. Dou you think it is serious?"  
Manello´s lips formed a smile before he turned around, embracing an intruder with his arms.  
"I think it can be serious, if someone won´t take care of this problem immediately." Despite his obvious exhaustion he tried to sound like he is full of strength to play a little game with his woman. He hadn´t seen her much lately. Always at work with her on the other side helping in Safe Houses. He liked when she surprised him like this.  
"I think it is getting better. You are really a professional."  
"Well, I know few things."  
Mannelo kissed her softly. Feeling her lips on his, her skin under his touch, it was all he needed to know what heaven looks like.  
"Thank you," he uttered without thinking.  
"For what?" she laughed.  
"Don´t know… For being with me?"  
Her eyes were shining so brightly, he had no chance to look away.  
"Fool," was the only thing she said.

They were kissing again, slowly like tasting something they didn´t have for a long time. Finally when they broke apart, they both sat on the table talking about common things like brothers, work, food, evening plans… It took some time, all ending with Manny´s new patient. He couldn´t fight away the feeling that Payne looked upset for some reason, when Manny mentioned his fast healing progress.  
"Yeah, today he was even able to walk by his own. Now the hard part begins… You know what is it like to keep any of those men in bed, when they once know they aren´t going to die any time soon."  
He paused.  
"What´s going on?"  
Payne avoided his gaze, but couldn't escape his arms.  
"What is it? Tell me," he asked.  
"It is really nothing."  
"No, come on. Trust me, ok?"  
How could I not?  
"You know I want to fight with brothers. They don´t need a stranger by their side. They need me."

Manello didn´t want to act all protectively as he soo often did, he tried to calm himself down first. Then talk. But they both knew his opinion on that matter.  
"You know you are not in the state to fight… not yet," he added quickly when he saw a frown at her face. "Even if those attacks you have weren´t so bad, Wrath would not allow it, Vishous as well…"  
"To hell with them," she cried out, "to hell with them all."  
"Come on, you don´t mean this."  
"I do." I do not.

Payne was frustrated and angry mostly on herself and her weakness. She wanted Manny to support her as her hellren, not protect her as a doctor. She got the point. But that didn´t mean she had to agree with it.  
Her mother sent a warrior to help.  
Her mother doesn´t do good deeds for free.  
The dark thoughts made her look over Manny´s shoulder to an open door of the patient´s room.  
Who the hell is that man?

OOO

Bloodletter was listening to a speaking doggen named Fritz, nodding time to time, when there was a sign requested whether he understood or not. He already knew every important information about the house, security and people living in the mansion. Doggen was patiently explaining whatever he wanted to know. And he asked. A lot. Then his doctor came in an usual hour to check up on him. But he wasn´t in the mood. They spoke a little words about his condition and progress and he got a free pass to move around the room and corridor.

This was a good change for once. He kept it slow as he was said. He went for a walk two times. While the second one he managed to get at the end of the corridor without feeling much pain in his chest. He paused there in front of the locked door, breathing in and out, relaxing and then turned back. Hell, he had had worse injuries than that...

Bloodletter thought he was alone maybe except the doctor in his office, mostly because there was always silence in his room. However he learned otherwise when he suddenly heard a noise in the distance – voices as he found out few minutes later. He stopped in front of the slightly open double door. Someone in was laughing.  
"Hey, Butch, come on, kick him harder. You´re too soft!"  
"V, watch your shoulder."  
"Come on!"  
The shouts echoed in the huge room clearly designed for exercising. No one seemed to notice a newcomer as they all were watching the fight on the ground. There was a small circle of vampires. From what he remember he could tell the man standing on the left - bare-headed with a scar visible on his face was Zsadist, the son of Ahgony. He was frowning and his eyes were dark as night. By his side stood Phury, his brother. His hair made Bloodletter think about words as beautiful and amazing, no way suitable for describing a hard built warrior.  
Beside them there was Rhage son of Tohrture, the big blond statue, grinning and showing his white teeth. He was making quick gestures with his hands and the most shouting came from his own mouth.  
"You punch like a girl, cop."  
He heard a voice from the ball of limbs on the ground and immediately knew who it belonged to. It looked like a fight was made between his son and another vampire. They were vanishing and reappearing depending on the moving bodies around them. Hard sounds of punching, choking and kicking were filling the room with encouraging voices supporting sometimes Vishous another time the other vampire.  
"V, you´re not giving yourself in completely," shouted vampire pinning Vishous on the ground with a knee.  
"You want that cop?" came an answer, "well, here you are."

With a one quick perfect move Vishous threw the vampire off him and replaced himself in the same position only now sitting on the top of the vampire´s chest making him gasping for air like a drowning man. Somehow he managed to free his left hand and hit Vishous right in the face immediately after that. He gained some important seconds, while was his opponent recovering from the unexpected strike and it helped him to fully free himself from under the heavy body.  
They were both standing on their feets only to end on the ground again a moment later. Vishous used a choke hold on the vampire´s neck and it seemed this would be the end of the fight. The man´s skin turned instantly pale. He was trying to use his hands firstly to push away an arm around his neck, but then realizing it was pointless trying to get hold of Vishous´s face. But he didn´t.  
"It´s over Butch, give it up now," advised him a blond male.  
"Give it up," joined Vishous not easing his hold.  
"Butch, don´t be stubborn, come on… You know it´s over. You are still bett… Cop? Cop! V, stop! He´s out."  
In the flash Vishous let go of man´s body laying his unconscious form carefully on the ground.  
"Butch," he bended over him slapping his cheek softly, "wake up, buddy."  
Bloodletter couldn´t see whether the man opened his eyes after hearing this or not, but he assumed he did, because of quiet teasing "idiot" escaping his son´s mouth.  
"Did I win?" his strained voice started one round of laughs.  
"Yes, cop. You did win your own way," spoke up the big hairy guy, "he wouldn´t get off of us if we passed out."  
Bloodletter saw them again on the ground this time smiling and helping each other up. He didn´t quite noticed Zsadist making holes in his head with those dark fury eyes in meantime. And when he did, he saw there one simple question he couldn´t answer.  
. . .HERE.


	5. Chapter 5

No one moved. No one seemed to know what to say.

Bloodletter felt like he walked into something private. Seeing brothers teasing each other, laughing and being themselves… this wasn´t probably the thing they shoved to anyone, more to him and in fact it was a wise thing to do. He decided to speak up, but as he was thinking about the suitable words, the blonde guy took a step forward and spoke first.  
"You want to join?"  
He had a feeling that it wasn´t supposed to mean join and watch.

And in that it was the question out of place. He had to clearly see Bloodletter was in no condition to join their bull fights. However something in him stopped him from an automatic refusal. Maybe his pride. Maybe the blood boiling in his veins.  
"He cannot," Vishous broke into conversation looking at his friend with annoyed gaze, "I´m not allowing this."  
"And who are you, V to do that?" asked Rhage in return with easiness in his voice not realizing that Vishous is deathly serious about the thing.  
"His doctor, Hollywood. And if you don´t want to end up with a hand sewn to your head next time you´ll break it, don´t fuck with my decisions."  
It wasn´t a threat in the real meaning of the word. For that it had to be said in a little different tone, so much Rhage knew. Still he rather decided to let go of the subject. For now. "Maybe another time, eh?"

Bloodletter wasn´t a coward. He would hell loved wiped the floor with that blonde hair of his, but at the same time he realized how weak he was, that standing upright without holding onto something was enough for his strength to slowly drift away. And Bloodletter didn´t started fights he couldn´t win.  
"My apologize. I didn´t mean to disturb you. I heard voices."  
"Yeah, damn, that´s okay. Don´t mind them that much, usually we don´t have such problems with behaving." Butch was scanning everyone with his brown eyes spiritually saying they should stop acting like idiots.  
He had done nothing bad… yet - said his stare.  
"Maybe you should join us anyway. I can show you how to shoot from the gun, if you feel on it."  
Bloodletter made a quick glance towards each brother looking for their reaction. They seemed to be ok with an idea or at least as okey as he wasn´t crossing their path.  
"V?" added Butch immediately remembering his warning to Rhage.  
"Depends on the patient."  
Bloodletter´s positive answer was maybe a little bit faster than it was appropriate, but he needed to do something. Anything. And after hearing there is an opportunity? His strength miraculously returned. Or at least a part of it enough to take the steps down without hissing or crouching eyebrows.  
"Ok, ladies, make us space. Go lift something or whatever, you too Hollywood."  
"Yeah, come on, let cop do cop´s things," said someone and others followed outside of the gym without a protest, except Vishous who took a stand in the corner of the shooting room they had marched in.

Butch signaled to a man to come closer and put his own Glock into his hand.  
"Ok, I´m not sure if you have already seen the gun."  
"I knew it existed," he said, "but didn´t meet one till it made a hole into my chest."  
"I guess a bad way how to get to know new things." Butch smiled and briefly looked at V, then turned back.  
"Ok, so there are a lot of types of guns. I think, you probably had to meet with old ones. Never mind. You have to find your own sort, which will suit you best, but for now, let´s try with this."  
He then patiently explained the whole how-does-it-work process, adding few advices and hints to help with a technique. Two minutes later he stood behind the man, correcting his posture. He managed to hold the gun firmly without hesitation, which usually appears with beginners, although it was clear it wasn´t easy for him. He had to be in pain, when he raised the gun up.  
"Just breathe and watch the target."  
Butch was really proud, when the man hit on his first try in the middle and he somehow couldn´t stop grinning turning on Vishous to earn some praise.  
"You see? I´m a hellla of teacher."  
"I´ve never stated otherwise, cop."

Bloodletter shot another three times after which he started to feel a little overwhelmed from the moving around so much. He knew, that if he´s going to lift that gun again, he will regret it.  
"I think this is enough for today. I won´t risk Manello kicking my ass because I let you drain yourself. You´re healing perfectly. Can go with us in the streets in no time."  
A man had to decide this is a logical statement and handed weapon towards Butch.  
"Thank you for your time."  
"Not wortha a word, man. Just keep exercising; you are free to do that here as much as you want. I know you´re probably learned to use different kinds of weapons. I personally prefer daggers too, but our enemies have guns – we have guns. It´s so simple."  
He nodded with a slight grimace on his face appearing and vanishing in less than a second.  
"Now I am returning to my room, if you excuse me."  
"Of course. But… hey, wait! What´s your name? You haven´t told us yet?!"  
A man stopped in his movement looking a little bit like caught by the question.  
"You can call me Lethre."  
"I´m Butch. And that frowning rock there is Vishous."

A man bowed his head in a formal way and greeted them both in old lanquage, leaving them a little confused but obvioulsy pleased. On his way back he thought about the name he gave them and regretted not thinking twice, but it was already late for that. He returned to his room, let himself be checked by the doctor without mentioning where he was and what he was doing. Manny Mannelo didn´t ask. However on his leave it was Bloodletter who actually did have something on his mind.  
"Doctor?"  
"Yes?"  
"What does the COP mean?"  
The first puzzled look on his face disappeared while his lips formed a smile.  
"Butch is called cop, true? You heard them calling him this way? It is a nickname, means his previous profession as human."  
"Do you mean before transition?"  
Manello coughed. "Not really, you have to ask that by yourself. I can tell you it is a short cut used for a policeman or officer. It is the man who protects another people against criminals."

Bloodletter´ll have to wait a long time to ask something like this in person, but now he knew a little more about the man, who can help him get closer to his son. Considering a last hour no one seemed to fit more into this role.

OOO

After the long night full of playing seek and find with the lessers society only without the finding part, the brotherhood ended in the ZeroSum deathly starring at everything and everyone and not in the good mood at all pouring liquor to extinguish the fire in their minds. Tonight they were all out, because of the rumors about lessers kidnapping young vampire women with no company. They prepared on tonight patrol with a clear vision – reap, kick, bang, kill and ventilate what was inside them. But that didn´t truly happen.  
Zsadist was the only one who excused himself or let´s say just left not even entering the club. He wanted to be at home with his shellan and his young. Who would it say? The most aggressive one of them all going straight home without any anger to let out. The rest of them sank into the VIP section around the table mostly quiet only with Hollywood mumbling something time to time. It was a rush there. Everything reserved or already full.

Brothers had their own waitress running with drinks every few minutes. However Butch didn´t feel like just sitting around, he needed to move, walk, do something, so he uttered a sentence or two about going to order another round and headed towards the bar by himself. V just shook his head, when he asked, if he should bring him something. With a tired exhalation he addressed a bartender about his drink getting his ass on the bar chair simultaneously.  
"Scotch?" A voice of the young man sitting now next to Butch started him up just as he raised a glass to his mouth. He split a little on his pants and the bar.  
Damn, just amazing.  
"Sorry, didn´t mean to freak you out."  
Butch gave a man not so nice look, but noticing his smile and sincere expression he tried to swallow a swear, both in his mother language and old one.  
"You didn´t," he answered, "you just owe me another glass." He too smiled.  
"No problem." In a flash another scotch appeared in front of Butch and one in front of the man.  
"Cheers."  
He signaled in the air.  
Butch answered the same. Few seconds passed before he turned to cop again.  
"What is it tonight that everyone is in no mood?" he asked with a playful tone. Butch didn´t notice anything weird on the sudden conversation mostly because he was already a bit drunk.  
"Maybe there is just a lot of assholes ruining the mood." He meant the stinking assholes of course.  
"That´s what happened to you? Someone ruined your day?"  
The question was so frank, Butch couldn´t resist to utter a response.  
"You can say that, yeah."  
"My name is Brain by the way."  
That was when he got Butch´s attention. What a fucking coincidence.  
"That´s my name too."  
"Yeah? Cool. Nice to meet you, Brain. I am quite new in the town, don´t know anybody."  
"Well," interrupted Butch pouring scotch into his mouth before continuing, "you do now."

Only then he halfway turned to a man and really looked at him. He had a fine face, with blue eyes and damn crazy red hair. Dressed in the tight T-shirt so all his arm muscles punched you in your eyes in the first glimpse. There was something off in the way he returned Butch´s gaze, but not so off it had him concerned.  
"Mind if I order another round?"  
He just shook his head, that he doesn´t care as long he´s somehow occupied.  
"So who is that asshole?"  
"Eh?"  
"The one who ruined your night. Woman… or man?"  
"It´s not like that," Butch answered fully understanding what kind of question he just received a minute later. Suddenly he didn´t feel so good sitting there with Brain. Not that he´s done anything wrong. It was just that Butch knew where was the conversation leading. And he didn´t like that direction.  
"Maybe someone else could fix the problem, don´t you think?"  
Oh. Fuck. No.  
He cleared his throat. "Sorry, I…"  
"Is there any problem?"  
Butch froze in the place as V´s voice stuck into his back like hundred of knifes. He turned his head back finding him standing behind with an angry and deathly look on his face. Comparing the two of them, staying like this - the man - Brain - he remained him a Rambo fighter, while Wishous towering above him a half-god he actually was.

"I asked is there any problem?" It took a moment for Butch to realize he wasn´t speaking to him, rather to his new friend.  
"Well it wasn´t till now. But it can be," was the calm answer smashed into his face.  
Ok. Not a good way how to survive the evening, kid.  
"Come on, everything is ok," Butch felt like he should step in same way calmly on outside, but freaking out under the surface. Just don´t kill him, brother. Wrath would eat your heart for breakfast.  
"Is this who you are with in here?" asked Brain with contempt in every word. Butch held a breath in. He wasn´t sure how, but he managed to jump in front of Vishous just in the right time to avoid breaking kid´s skull against the bar desk.

"We should go. Come on, Vishous," he pushed into his chest with his back feeling how it raised and fell with fury.  
"You don´t have to go with him." Brain watched him with really honest eyes. What did he even think? That he was made to do something he didn´t want? He wasn´t a damn victim here. Except Brain will be one, if he don´t stop with the shit right now.  
"I am really fine. I want to go with him. We are here together anyway." Not in that meaning of the word, but still.

"Problem, gentlemen?"  
Ok, this was seriously fucked up. The last thing they needed was Rehvenge on the scene and more attention to them.  
"No."  
"Yes."  
"Yes."  
"Just stop already you two," Butch was getting really frustrated and mad too.  
"We´re going V, now, or you can stay here by yourself, you get me?"  
Rehvenge said something short in the old language. Bastard, he seemed to hella know what was this about. After that Butch tumbled a little backwards as the hard body was replaced only with air. He thanked Rehvenge for his assistance, on which he bowed his head with respect.  
"Always to your service, warrior." The last word only echoing in his mind.  
"I´m sorry for this," he quickly uttered in the way Brain sat. He returned a smile saying never mind making Butch happy for not letting him be ripped apart. "Hope to see you, again," he said.

Cop didn´t go back to VIP after that, because he was sure that wasn´t the place V went. He ran out of the building via back door finding him in the exactly spot he was hoping for. Alone and safe.  
He approached him quite quickly.  
"What was that about?" he didn´t mean to sound so sharp, but fuck that, the idiot deserved it.  
"What was what Butch?"  
"Need to remember? You acting like a crazy bastard inside?"  
He was right in his face. And he had no idea why it felt like one or another is going to throw a punch any time soon.  
"Sorry if it matters to me, when someone is throwing himself all over you."  
"That wasn´t what was happening!"  
"Oh, really? Didn´t look that way from the other side of the room."  
Butch sighed. Not angrily. Just sighed.

"We said to each other, we´ll take this whole thing between us slowly." There was no one else in alley, so Butch could say what was on his mind clearly.  
"Cop, what do you except me to do, when someone is flirting with you in front of my eyes? To stand by and look? Because I cannot do that." You are mine.  
After few seconds only staring, Butch seemed to get the point.  
"He wasn´t even attracted to me."  
"Am I?"  
Fuck.  
"I don´t know V, what do you want me to say? My whole life I´ve never looked on another man the way I look at you. I´ve never been in such situation. I don´t really know. I think yes. Damn." Butch was really tired and on the edge with nerves.  
"When you kissed me I wanted to kiss you back. When you touched me, my skin was on fire. When you walk by me your smell is dragging me towards you, when we fight and something happens to you, I´m death with fear. Is that attraction? Because if it is, yes you are. You fucking are."

Silence. Again.  
Someone opened the door and shut it immediately deciding not to disturb the two men standing close enough to bite each other´s head. Or to do a complete otherwise. What the hell are we doing?  
The kiss that came was a passionate one, full of aggression, despair and jealousy. Still it felt amazing, strong… The way Butch will always remember what it was like when another woman or man looks at him. V´s hands were holding him tight so he could hear his quick heartbeat resounded in his own chest. His eyes were shut and when he opened them, he was looking at V´s shining diamonds saying everything without any pointless words.  
"We should stop doing this after we drank. So it can count."  
Butch couldn´t help himself, he was grinning showing all his teeth.  
"It always counts." He forced his hands to let go. "Come on, we have to return, or they will think we killed each other."


	6. Chapter 6

Butch knew he wasn´t sleeping in his bed the same second he woke up. The realization came before he could even see the TV running Star Wars Marathon in front of the couch he was lying on or that blinds were still down leaving the room in half darkness. It came before he felt the hard mass under his head moving a little and before his mind stated it wasn´t a pillow. Becasue pillows don´t move.  
"You´re ´wake"

The soft tone brought a kind of familiar feeling of safety and peace in a way it almost made Butch close his eyes again without much thinking. He pushed that urge away and lifted himself up. V´s tired smile welcomed him with elegance only he could possess at 5pm evening when every normal person looked like trash.  
"Hi."  
He just blinked twice and then without saying anything in return, he leaned forward, took Butch´s neck under the warm touch and pulled him closer, slowly to give him space for backing off he connected their lips in a quick kiss. Something Butch thought would leave him feeling odd, but in fact he could imagine waking up like this every morning.  
"Now, I´m completely sober," V said, smirking.  
"Me too."

He went back into his previous position lying with his back on the couch and in that moment Butch recognized he had to sleep on V´s legs whole night. Maybe the reason why the borther didn´t look like he rested at all.  
"You´re good? Did you sleep?"  
Butch followed V´s gaze as it turned away and back on him. Then he got a glimpse of his wrinkled forehead.  
"What is it?"  
"Nothing. My head hurt, I didn´t sleep much. It´s better now. Watching you kept me pretty well occupied, so it wasn´t so bad after all."  
He ignored the last part of the sentence otherwise he would forget what he wanted to say. "Does it have some reason… I mean, it used to happen before?"  
"Time to time," he admitted.

Butch had already had the experience being a witness to nightmares of his next door neighbor, mostly because it couldn´t be helped and he heard every scream through not so thick walls. Sometimes it ended sooner he could realize what was happening. Sometimes he went to wake him up. The nights like that were tearing his soul apart. But none of these situations ended in result of physical pain. This was new for Butch. Just like the information it was happening for some time without him noticing.  
"I´m going to take your shift tonight in the training center," he decided hoping V is enough tired for agreeing, "You take some sleep."  
He didn´t put a fight. That was disturbing.  
"And maybe you should go see Mannelo."  
"Maybe," he said and closed his eyes again.

Hell, cop haven´t remembered him ever be so out or even admitting that something is wrong so easily.  
"I´ll call Fritz to bring you something to eat."  
Something like Yeah escaped V´s mouth. Butch couldn´t escape from feeling a little proud when he realized he was probably the only one allowed to take care of that stubbron bastard.  
"I want apples." It was just a whisper before V turned on his side and it was clear he wasn´t awake. Butch smiled. Soon after he called Fritz, ordered a lot of good food and added on the end: "Hey, Fritz."  
"Yes, master Butch?"  
"Do we have any apples by the chance?"

OOO

Three days went by.  
That meant three patrols with full force of Brotherhood in the streets.

The vampire women still continued to disappearing. Wrath was everyday receiving letters and personal visits from frightened parents or family. They all pleaded to find their daughters or to avenge them, bring someone to justice. Till recently they were ordinary people, but a day ago Butch had seen the vampire man and woman – aristocrats entering the king´s study. The woman wiped her read eyes with embroidered handkerchief. It wasn´t hard to guess what had happened.

There was a great pressure on Wrath so he acted best as he could. Every brother out every night. They didn´t complain. It was a kind of lifestyle every one of them preferred.

They were divided into 2-member groups so they could cover larger area. Phury with Zsadist, Butch and V and Rhage should have paired with Lethre. The new guy was up on his feet just as V said in no time. Every day he practiced with a gun, he exercised under the Mannelo eyeshot and he also joined them once for the First Meal. It was actually the one time, when Butch had noticed the negativism from the king towards Lethre for the first time. He´d barely spoke to him till everyone else tried their best to be polite. Butch wasn´t sure if they had seen it or not…Probably V did , but he hadn´t talked about it and neither had Butch. It just made him feel like the king knew more than he was revealing.

On the other side things between him and Vishous were slowly increasing.  
It took a lot of strength not to look at him when others were present, or not to say something inappropriate. Even teasing, which they´d done so much before, sounded dangerous. Butch tried to retain control over his words and acts, but maybe it just made him look more suspicious, he didn´t know.  
He just remembered the night after the club-almost-fight-scene, when Rhage looked at him with those shining eyes grinning a little and his expression was clearly saying: I know, motherfucker. I know what this is about.  
Still it was true, they didn´t hide so well.

Two days ago, some stinking lesser shot V to his leg and Butch almost tore him apart with his bare hands. He had to look crazy and hell, he was. Vishous had been losing too much blood and let´s say cop hadn´t coped any near good. They always cared for each other, but now it was different. It was more instinctive, uncontrollable. He didn´t care about consequences, he didn´t care about what it looked like, he saw V sitting in a pool of blood, pale as ghost and that was it.  
His sane self waved him goodbye and went on vacation.

Shit, this was all new to him - that kind of bond. He didn´t know how to handle things. After all, he was totally straight till last days.

It wasn´t like he was after men now. He was just after V. It freaked him out, but it was true. The relationship between them was always special. When it had went to hell few days ago, the moment Vishous had kissed him for a first time was like an electric shock to his brain and also… to his heart. He wasn´t sure, why he hadn´t pushed him away back there, why he´d responded on a kiss that was so fucking away from any limit they´d used to have. He didn´t know where it leaded. The only thing, he was convinced about, was that it felt right. So fuckingright like nothing else in his life ever.

Butch entered the Pit with a slight smile on his lips, which didn´t remained unnoticed.  
"What is it?" asked V paying attention to his guns and knives. Dressed in all leather with eyes on his toys, he couldn´t see how Butch´s lighten up as he stopped in the middle of the living room.  
"Rhage," he explained quickly, "he just had a fight with Lethre in the gym. You know, the one they delayed because of you threatened blondie?"  
"Oh, and how it ended?" Vishous asked with a little excitement under his casual tone.  
"Let´s say Hollywood is going on tonight patrol with broken nose and blue bruise under his eye. Marry is giving him hell right now for that."  
"Don´t know what is worse. His trampled ego or Marry´s wrath."  
"I bet he feels the same way."  
Butch went for his own stuff and jacket.  
"Can we go?"  
"Yes," came an answer in the same moment as V´s breath tickled the bare skin on his neck.  
"I have something for you tonight. You better behave."  
His voice gave him chills on the spine in a very positive way. V let go of him immediately grabbing something from the table and passed by to the door like he just didn´t put a disturbing thoughts into Butch´s mind.  
"Are you coming?"

OOO

Vishous knocked twice on the door to the room, where was the Brotherhood waiting for him and Butch to appear. King had already started to talk.  
"… so another few days with all of you. Keep your asses with your partner, don´t go all hero by yourself or I´m going to put you on the bench, are we clear?"  
From every man came a quiet yes except V and Butch, who were in that moment in the process of sitting on the couch. No one cared. They all knew those two can´t be separated anyway.  
"Tonight Lethre," he somehow spitted the name, "is going with you. We can´t be sure if this problem with our women disappearing is the one, Scribe Virgin sent us backup to help or not. She didn´t mention so far. But in case it isn´t and something bigger is about to happen, still you need to know how to work together. We´ll see how it´ll go tonight and after that I´ll make a final decision, if this is going to work."  
Wrath didn´t except any objections on this, so he was quite surprised when he heard cracking lollipop and Rhage speaking out.  
"I don´t want to go with him."  
"Neither do I, warrior," answer from Lethre hit the silence in the room sooner than Wrath could organize his thoughts and do it by himself, "I consider you young and unstable…"  
By the word unstable someone laughed.  
"I don´t know what caused your hatred towards me, but I am ready to accept king´s order." So should be you – remained unsaid.

Wrath of course couldn´t see the expression Hollywood had on his face, but his imagination worked just fine.  
"Rhage, you have to understand it is not a punishment. I decided to group you two because of the organizational reasons. Butch and V have to be together because of the cop ´s thing. Phury and Zsadist are somehow connected, they work best together. You are alone and you know you can´t go alone in a case something happens. Someone has to have your back." It sounded rational. And Rhage wasn´t an idiot although he sometimes acted like one.  
"I don´t need a help from him," he said, obviously disagreeing, "but I too accept your order, my king."  
"I´m glad you do, Rhage."

True? Wrath just couldn´t see how this is going to work, but he was willing to at least try.  
"You´re just mad he beat you up, blondie," uttered Zsadist with a scary smile on his face.  
"What about talk after your own try?"  
"Stop," ordered Wrath sharply. Even the dog raised its head. He knew that this case was too much personal for every one of them. They had their women and they asked themselves what would it be like, if any was missing. It was getting on their nerves and Wrath´s too.  
"Calm down. You need to find a way how to not kill each other for at least this night. That´s all I ask."  
It seemed they understood. For now.  
"Go."  
They cleared the room in less than three seconds and Wrath reamined alone in his study with his loyal companion sitting under the table. He kept gently stroking his fur as an apologize for startling him up before.

Sometimes king just missed the fight in the streets so much it almost caused him pain. And now it was just that kind of time.

OOO

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?"  
Vishous moved his big form in front of a new guy as he was entering the corridor leading to a parking lot. He was waiting for him.  
"Of course, is there any problem?"  
"No, just some information you may need."  
"Talk, warrior," he addressed him respectably.  
"Ok, first," this wasn´t pleasant for him, but someone had to do it, "you´re going with Rhage tonight and that means a little more than you are probably expecting."  
"I can assure you, I can handle him."

Vihous looked at him with a smirk.  
"No doubt for that. You just should know, sometimes it´s not so good to piss him off. Like you said he is unstable, but it´s not completely his fault."  
"What do you mean?"  
"He is cursed," V continued clearly not fond of talking about his friend behind his back, "he has a… beast inside of him. He can change a form when he is injured or when he loses his temper, which happens a lot actually. In recent years it was much worse. He was uncontrollable. When he changed he didn´t recognize enemy from us. Even now it isn´t 100%, but it´s better."  
"I shouldn´t have talked to him like that."  
"No, that´fine. He isn´t so flower as he seems. He can take a lot. I may say, he has it under control now, but just in case, just don´t…"  
"I won´t." He nodded. "Thank you for the information."

V was sure he now understood the seriousness of fighting with Rhage at least a part of it.  
"Yeah, and there is one more thing."  
"I listen."  
"It´s about Butch. There is something with him too."  
"Another beast?"  
"Hell no," V shook his head, "Maybe you heard he is called Dhestroyer. He is the most valuable member of the Brotherhood, if I can say it this way. He has his own ability to complete destroy our enemies. Not just send them back to Omega, but really kill them. No one else is able to do that. We are trying to protect him the best we can. Dramatically said – he is our hope to wipe out those motherfuckers for good."  
Lethre didn´t try to hide his amaze, his eyes shone with a power and fury towards their enemies.  
"You are telling me that there is a way how to get rid of them?"  
"That´s what I´m saying, yes."  
"How?"  
Vishous sighed. This wasn´t a good time for this type of conversation.  
"This is a little complicated. I can explain it later, maybe you´ll see it tonight. The point is, when you find lessers, you first call me. If I don´t answer, it means I have a work to do on my own, if you can´t wait, you send them back to their creator old fashioned way. On the other case, we´ll meet and Butch will do his thing. He can´t do more than three. It´s the limit."  
Lethre nodded again.  
"It isn´t only that simple," he guessed right.  
"It isn´t." V remembered all the times he had to use his light to heal his broken friend.  
"Rhage knows everything, so he can update you more, now the last thing…" Vishous lifted his hand with something wrapped in a piece of black cloth. "Here you are. I´ve promised you a good weapon."  
The man accepted the gift. Holding it in his hands and unwrapping the cloth he looked up. "It is beautiful," he spoke out in the old language. "You´ve made it, warrior?"  
"Yes. I do it pretty much for everyone here," he tried to put a little weight down from the deed.  
"Thank you."  
The man looked like there was a lot in his mind, but at the end he just bowed his head with words: "I will treasure this weapon and use it properly to fight against enemies of our race." The old language made the sentence sound like an oath.  
"You´re welcome."  
Vishous backed off the way, not wasting any more of the night-time. "We should go, others are waiting. You have to be all crazy to get in the streets."  
"I am," admitted Lethre, "I am."


	7. Chapter 7

Bloodletter took a deep breath and suck the cold air into his lungs while watching a vampire male marching few steps ahead of him, moving with elegance and caution. They made no sound as they were approaching new alleys and dark paths in the city which looked nothing like Bloodletter has ever remembered. Before the whole trip he was told what to quite expect. Doggen had shown him some pictures and maps so he could at least a little orientate outside if the mansion. Even the blonde guy´s been explaining him few things, mostly in cases he saw Bloodletter was caught by something he didn´t knew. Of course, he loved to do it with arrogance and irony.

The man couldn´t be sure if the kid did it because of his "kind heart" or he was ordered to do so. Still he would bet on the second option. The only thing they had in common tonight was seek and destroy mode, they were both into. Bloodletter was straining his senses to the maximum, hungry for blood so was the blonde guy. Time to time he unwittingly reached to his black coat slightly touching his new weapon. Once while doing that, he was seen by the act. The other vampire smirked. His neon green-blue eyes shining through the night.  
"I see you got a gift."  
"True," agreed Bloodletter.  
"Show me," it was more of demand than suggestion. Swear to Maker, Bloodletter would never do that, if it wasn´t for a kid´s sincere expression, same fascinated as Bloodletter´s by the precious work of his son.  
He held a weapon for him to take it.  
"Hell, this is perfect."  
He pretended to attack an invisible enemy in front of him, then threw the blade a little in the air catching it with other hand.  
"It was designed for you," he said not surprised, "I guess it is well balanced."  
"It is."

It had also a longer blade than daggers made for Brotherhood, also a different style and design, but it was not less impressive.  
Blondie returned the gift.  
"You like long weapons?" It was a nice try for a something different than a deathly silence.  
"Yes, I also like guns since your brother showed me how to shoot and not just how to be shot."  
"Yeah," they concurred in this, "Butch is hella of teacher."

They moved again. The phone – another new and disturbing thing for Bloodletter, went off and blondie picked it up only to learn that they were on the same line with Zsadist and his brother Phury who hadn´t find any lessers as well. They weren´t able to reach Vishous and Butch. Suddenly few minutes after their last call, they stopped with expectation, smelling the sweet scent in the breeze and there was not a chance they would miss this opportunity. They moved together as one - fast forward, looking for a source and something to kick.  
"Hellooooo, boys," the kid welcomed new appearing lessers with a fake warm embrace as soon as he got a glimpse of them on the other side of the street. Pale forms turned their way. Bloodletter felt pumped up with emotions waiting for him to release them on everything and everyone who stood in front of him.  
"I´ll take the one on the right," he heard himself talk and making the first step on the same time.  
He didn´t heard any response. And in that exact situation he didn´t care.

Next second he was pulling out his blade and jumping towards the enemy kicking the first one with a force, which made the son of a bitch hit the wall of the building behind him. He however recovered quickly - the old recruit he was. It only brought a smile on Bloodletter´s face. After all he wanted a fight not a punching bag. The lesser stepped aside. Bloodletter saw him pulling something from his jacket. This time he didn´t just stand on the place, but he kicked the thing out of his hand before it could be used against him and threw himself on the stinking figure.  
He used his fists the most time, not noticing they were a total mess after few hits. His delirium was almost too strong for him to even look up, when another one came quietly with a knife in his hand right behind blondie, who was preoccupied with his own pale ghost throwing punches just the same way as Bloodletter was.

He had no time to warn the kid. It took only three seconds for Bloodletter to stand up from a lying lesser beneath him, but it wasn´t enough to avert the connection. The third bastard picked the knife just in time, when blondie spotted a threat. The only thing he could do to avoid the stab to his back was to turn to the left. The knife still cut him, but it was always a better option than a straight impact. That one quick slip of attention, when Rhage´s face grimaced with pain, gave his first opponent a needed advantage. He kicked his right leg and made him kneel on the ground with a cracking sound. Bloodletter ran towards the third lesser, the one with a knife, leaving his own lying unconscious behind. He hit him with his chest and shoulders in the way they were both flying two meters away to the nearby wall. He knocked a breath out of himself and of his enemy too. The lesser stayed on the ground shaken and vulnerable.

A bubble sound escaping his mouth when the long dagger met his chest.  
Bloodletter turned around ready to jump on the last one, except he was already down next to blondie´s feet.  
"You´re alright, kid?"  
Bloodletter watched his face. He was clinging into the near brick holding his side and standing only on one leg. When he wanted to approach him, he put up his hand to stop him.  
"No," he breathed out, "don´t… come… closer…"  
Suddenly Bloodletter remembered on the warning he got, it was clear, why was brother clenching his fists so much his knuckles became white.  
"Come on, kid, you´re not going to eat me. I know you don´t like me and you are right about this, I am not tasty at all."  
There was a glimpse of smirk immediately disappearing. Bloodletter knew he could breathe it out. He had that pleasure in the past to meet some similar creatures inside of the men. He knew when the man lost the control for good. This was not the case.  
"We need to get you home. Your leg is broken."  
Blondie looked down, his breathing getting steady.  
"Don´t call… me… kid. I have… a name."  
"Can I come now?" asked Bloodletter swallowing a "kid" word.  
He nodded.  
"Take… my phone, call… Vishous. I lost.. it… somewhere… here…"  
Bloodletter found a phone left on the ground on the other side of the alley – had to be dropped out when they started to run. He held it in his hand. Gazing. Shaking it. Ending cursing in old language which could be easily translated in brotherhood´s English as: "What the hell is this demonic shit?"

OOO

"Yeah. Ok. I´m going to call the boys, we are there in a minute."  
Vishous put his phone down and looked at Butch. "I think someone just found out how to make a phone call." Cop smiled.  
"Rhage is out," V explained in a next moment, "he has a broken leg and is bleeding from his side. We need to get there with a car." He switched another number.  
"Phury? Are you good? Could you dematerialize to escalade and take it to Rhage? Cop just sucked up his second lunch, we have to walk. Yeah. No, we´re fine. Yes, he is there with him. Meet you there."  
Vishous put away the phone.

"Is it serious?" asked Butch a little green in the face holding his stomach with a shaking hand.  
"I don´t think so, but one never knows. Can we go?" He offered him his hand to hang onto him, cop took it without bitching around.  
"Hope, their bastards have more to say."

In the time they got into place, Rhage was already sitting in the back of the black car, engine screaming, with Zsadist driving away like a madman. Phury, Lethre, Vishous and Butch remained silent deciding which lesser comes first for a little talkie.  
"I think this one isn´t going to say anything."  
Butch bent over the one with the face similar to a mash. The motherfucker was moving with his mouth but nothing could come out. Cop could think about several reasons. Maybe no teeth left?  
"Take those two."

He kneeled down. The lesser´s eyes filled with fear. His body started to make pathetic attempts to flee from what was coming. No easy way out for you, buddy.  
"Say goodbye to Butch," he smiled and started to inhale. After he was done, he coughed several times trying to push away the need to throw up. The rest of the stinking trash was made to look on the whole process by Phury and Lethre, who were holding them by their throats.  
"So… who is next?" asked Butch slowly standing up on his feet.  
"Screw you, Dhestroyer," spat the lesser next to Phury.  
"You? Look, V, I´m already popular. He even knows my name."

Butch was doing his best not to show how fucked up he was. Not tonight. They needed to scare the bastards. They needed information. He walked towards Phury.  
"Maybe you would like to skip the eating part and tell us what you know about missing girls." The lesser laughed showing his rotted teeth.  
"What girls? The one we´ve had raped and killed? Those girls. Yes, they were so…" he couldn´t say more, because of the fist colliding with his face. Vishous had thrown another one, and one more just to cool himself down.  
"What about now telling the truth?"  
Lesser spat a black blood on the ground. "Go to hell."

"You know, we still have your friend here, I would take the chance if I were you."  
He was no new recruit. Neither one of them was. They were scared to die, but not that scared to give them what they wanted. The Brotherhood could beat them as long as there wasn´t a sun looking down on them, still it would made in no results. Butch found a solution, despite he knew V will not like it. He bet everything on the last shitbag, which seemed to be the most faint-hearted of the trio.  
"He is going to talk, I know he will." They were standing away from a hearing.  
"Butch, you are aware of that how you will look after you would take another one. It would be third. You can barely walk right now. He won´t take the bait, if he´ll see you in that state. He will know, you can´t take him in. It can´t work."

V´s point was based on the fact Butch won´t be able to take all four of them counting the one he inhaled before when they were alone. But cop wanted to do just that tonight, even when he didn´t say it clearly.  
"Just trust me in this, ok?"  
He looked right into V´s diamonds eyes, seeing how his lips made a straight line. He didn´t agree.  
"Whatever, cop. I´ll hope you know what you´re doing. I´m calling Zsadist to come back with a damn car."

Butch let Vishous go hoping he quessed his skills right and finally turning towards Phury and Lethre.  
"You won´t talk? Well, ok." He bent over the fucker and did the same as before. The last one was crying like a baby while he witnessed what was happening with his pale friend. Butch tried not to collapse the same second he ended. His head was spinning so much he had to hold to the ground to somehow stand up. Lethre helped him. For the first time Butch saw he was completely stunned by what was going around him.  
"No, don´t come closer! No!" the lesser continued in screaming till Lethre punched him in the jaw, so Butch could talk. His voice a lot of weaker than three minutes ago.  
"Tell us… now!"  
"I don´t know… I don´t know anything! Please! No!"  
Butch fell to his knees in front of the lesser. Phury using a choke hold looked up to Lethre standing next to a cop.  
"Don´t play… with me…"  
The motherfucker shook his head. "I´m not! I swear!"

Butch swallowed hard. His hands were trembling, when he grabbed the motherfucker.  
"Maybe I could eat just a half of you, so you can speak…" He opened his mouth, not truly sure, what he was about to do and if what he just said was even possible.  
"Fuck you. To hell with you all," screamed lesser, "you´re gonna die, all of you, the brotherhood will end and there will be no one to stop us, you´re gonna die, no! Your friend is first! He is first!"  
He had his eyes closed so he didn´t see Butch was no more ready to suck up his soul.  
"What did you… say? What friend?"  
Nothing just cries came in return.  
"Answer!" Butch hit him hard, his fingers screaming in pain immediately. "Answer, motherfucker! What are you planning?"

Someone pulled a knife to his cheek and cut deep.  
"Who is it?! Is it Vishous?! Talk!" The lesser glanced to Butch´s brown eyes full of fury.  
"He is going to die, warrior. He is first. And you can´t do anything… can´t do anything."

Butch´s vision got blurred and when it abruptly cleared few second later, he saw Lethre shooting the bastard´s leg twice. After that only more nonsense came out of its filthy mouth.  
It was the only option.  
He already did it few times.  
He sucked those shits in and saw things, things he tried to stay aways from, so they won´t drag him away.  
He needed to know.  
Cop leaned forward, decided. "As you wish." He opened his mouth.

"What the fuck do you think you´re doing?!" The strong hands grabbed him by his shoulders roughly pulling him back. "No hell I´m going to allow you to take this one!"  
Butch shook of the diziness from the sudden moving."V, I know I can, you have to let me!" The more time it took, the less truth it was.  
"No way!" repeated Vishous.  
Butch met his eyes for a second. He saw there every emotion V was made of. Aggression, violence, hatred, pride and… fear...  
"Trust me. You have to… let me… try…"  
They eyed each other. V shook his head. Said something Butch would never imagine. "Ok. I trust you."  
Butch smiled. It was as weak as he felt. He could do it. Now or never.  
He dip down into lesser´s being. Down to very core. Filling himself with the trash. Looking for what he wanted. Digging deeper and deeper. He was almost there. Almost got it. He wanted to open his eyes.

But suddenly there was nothing but darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

The first time Butch woke up, he didn´t see or hear anything. He only felt pressure on his chest - the heavy weight blocking the way for air into his body. And he felt darkness inside him increasing uncontrollably. Forcing himself not to let be drown again he groaned: "Help me…" He held his palm up. Someone grabbed it.  
"I´m here."  
The white light then poured down into his body cleansing everything it touched. It filled him completely and he fell asleep with that warm familiar feeling surrounding him. The second time he woke up, he knew he was in his bed, covered in his blanket, with warmth still present in his body and also next to him. The pain was almost gone. He reached for the source, drawing himself closer. Smiled. And again fell asleep. The last time Butch managed to open his eyes, the warm feeling was gone completely.

He moaned, pulled up on his elbows and automatically searched for the missing person. His eyes found him sitting on the edge of the bed turned with his back to cop, shirtless, with hands on his face.  
"V," he cleared his throat, then tried again louder. But Vishous didn´t look at him. Terrible long seconds were passing by, the silence almost giving Butch a headache.  
"I trusted you."  
"I´m sorry." Butch leaned forward to do something, more instinctively. He didn´t know what exactly, except V hadn´t waited. He stood up grabbing his black T-shirt from the ground. "I would kick your ass if you wouldn´t be in that fucking bed for two days."  
He still didn´t look behind, when he opened the door and slammed them afterwards. Butch stayed how he was, looking at the opposite wall without moving. After some time he let himself fall back into bed. His thoughts running wild.

He had fucked it up.  
And had no idea what to do to fix it.

OOO

After the long shower and even longer teeth brushing Butch gained some needed strength to go eat together with others instead of ordering food in the Pit. He dressed in the last clean T-shirt, put a pants on, used a cologne to kill the baby powder smell still sticking to his skin and moved downstairs.  
"Hey, Sleeping Beauty is finally up, you really scared the shit out of us, Butch," Rhage welcomed him adding quietly, so only the two of them could heard, "V is pissed off." You don´t say…

He soon learned, it maybe wasn´t such a wise decision to leave the room considering Vishous didn´t spoke to him a single word the whole time while sitting around the same table. They kinda ruined the atmosphere there and it only made Butch more frustrated. The king also didn´t look too happy. His stare was clearly saying: I´m waiting for you to finish eating, so I can beat some senses into you. He wanted to meet later in his office. Butch wasn´t looking forard on that.

"You should talk to him." Marry stopped him on his way back to his room with a serious expression. "He is only worried. We all are. You think so little on yourself."  
It was quite the opposite. Butch thought he was the hell of egoist, not deserving all the love from people around him, not even those nice words coming from the woman he respected so much.  
"I doubt he will listen to me."  
"Buy him flowers or chocolate, whatever he wants, you are a clever guy, you´ll figure it out." Marry was looking at him with knowing eyes. Butch was surprised he didn´t give a shit at the moment, whther she knew or not what was happening between him and Vishous. God, if he only knew what was happening. Still, she was right.

He had to make things right as soon as possible. From guys he learned V was in the training centre, teaching tonight with Zsadist. He went that way instead of listening to his body screaming for some more sleep. Thinking about what to say, he didn´t pay much attention to people he met. He remembered Phury explaining something, but he couldn´t recall any of it. As soon as he entered the training room - the scene before him showing boys training with weapons or individual combats techniques in pairs - it didn´t take long to find him. He was with the boy – John Matthew practicing self-defense postures in the corner of the room. For a few seconds Butch thought about turning back and coming again with a plan.  
Screw it.

He walked in, moving without second glances towards the boy and his man. He took a deep breath before he opened his mouth. "Can I talk to you?"  
Vishous didn´t pay him any attention. If it wouldn´t be for a sharp answer not to Butch but more to the nearby wall going like: "I have a work." It could be called a total ignorance. Fucking unbelievable.  
"I need to talk to you now," Butch pronounced every word in a very special way so V would know, If he wasn´t going by his own will, cop is going to throw a damn dumbbell to his head and carry his ass out one way or another. "Go, John. Z will show you the rest."  
The young boy disappeared like a fog.

Vishous stepped out first, showing him his back and Butch followed. Soon as the door of dressing room stayed closed behind them, he started to talk. Really quickly and really uncontrollably while his hands were making gestures in every side.  
"I know I am an idiot, ok? I know I risk too much. I know I fucked it up this time on the whole line. And I´m sorry. I don´t even know what you want me to say. Should I stop trying? Should I apologize for wanting to be more helpful? I apologize, that I´m not able to do that! Shit. Really. This is how I am, V. Damn… this is not what I wanted to tell you…" The simple sorry would maybe do better. Now he said what was on his mind, not what he should be saying.  
"So punch me, if you like. Do something. Just don´t act like I don´t exist!" he found himself yelling. What he didn´t expect was that the hit really came. It caught Butch out of guard and he fell down like a fucking potato.  
"Feel bette…" he wasn´t quite on his feet yet, when another punch landed on his jaw. He cursed. And he stroke back.

Vishous swayed a little to his side, but stayed standing, holding his bleeding lower lip. Butch cursed again, because it looked like he managed to really hurt him. Fucking perfect. The same second, he wanted to utter another I´m sorry – his new motto for the day, V´s eyes found his and he didn´t got a chance. A disappointment he saw there made him speechless.  
"You said I can trust you. That you know what you´re doing."  
"You can trust me."  
"The hell I can. Have you ever thought what is it for me to let you do this shit? Not just to see you in so much pain but drawing that darkness of you. I feel what you feel. I know how bad it is. No one else does. No one else can." Butch didn´t expect this much from V in real words.  
"How would you feel, if I would start with those crazy bullshits you pulled me out of again? If one day I would just thought it´s too much on me and I need some shitbags to beat me to unconsciousness? I would be every night crossing the line bit by bit, till it would be too late for you to come and save my ass. Because that´s what you´re doing to me. Or you don´t care?"  
Butch heard himself growling. "I do care, Vishous." This wasn´t a fair fight.

V had to knew, cop would rather cut his hands off than let someone hurt him. He would swallowed all, and do it by himself, if there wasn´t any other option. In that way, he at least knew his brother won´ t end up bleeding in the street waiting for the sun to burn him down. He would be home, in the place he knew, in the place, where Butch could take care of him later.  
"What I want you to say, Butch? I want you to say, you´re not going to do that again. But we both know you can´t say that, true?"  
He stayed quiet. "I thought that."

He didn´t try to stop him, when he passed by cop returning to his students. He didn´t know what to say. He needed his friend. Butch watched his back in the distance thinking he finally knew what he felt. Maybe he couldn´t name it, he could only say, he can´t lose that person or he´s pretty much dead. And this was enough for him not to stop trying to make things good again.

OOO

When Bloodletter entered the patient room, which he remembered well, he didn´t expect to find there two persons instead of one. The blonde guy was lying down with one leg situated on the pillow, looking with adoring eyes at the beautiful brown haired woman, holding her hand in his while talking.

Bloodletter didn´t mean to disturb them. He planned to back off unnoticed as soon as he understood it wasn´t a right moment for unexpected visits, except he was already seen by her. There was a small smile forming on her face as he looked at him.  
"Oh, isn´t this the one, who has my hellren´s nose broken? Come in."  
Bloodletter bowed his head as he stepped into the room. "I am sorry, my lady. I didn´t mean to trouble you. I was on my leave."  
"No, it´s okay. Whatever business you have with Rhage, you can have it now. I have to do something on my own." She kissed the blondie quickly on the lips, breaking the connection of their hands.  
"Love you."  
"Love you too."  
"And no fights for now, boys," she warned before she vanished behind the door. Bloodletter stopped in the middle of the room as few seconds there was only silence. Although it didn´t feel awkward.  
"I´m glad you didn´t eat me." Rhage burst out laughing.  
"I´m glad you didn´t leave me to bleed out."  
"It wasn´t so bad, warrior," claimed Bloodletter, the witty mood sticking to him as well.  
"You´re right, but still thanks."

The kid really meant it, so much he knew, his eyes didn´t know how to lie.  
"Your brother almost did the eating thing instead of you." Rhage looked confused. "The one with a scar over his face, Zsadist. He thought what happened was my fault." They are protecting you. That´s clear.  
"I´ll talk to him," Rhage murmured seriously.

"You don´t have to, I already did." The king´s voice rumbled through the room.

Wrath walked in with his loyal companion George by his side not looking less dangerous wearing black sunglasses than with unsheathed daggers. "Now I want to talk with you two." There was a brief pause, before he continued.  
"I decided, you were right Rhage," admitted king, "you two won´t go out together again."  
Bloodletter tensed with a bad promise. His eyes found a man on the bed. He couldn´t hide the concerned look on his face, when he thought about not being able to fight again with brothers. Rhage seemed to understood that look too well.  
"I think we´re good," he said.  
Wrath tilted his head to the left frowning like he wasn´t sure if he heard what he thought he heard.  
"You´re good?!" he asked sceptically.  
"Yes," they both answered.  
"Since when? Correct me if I´m wrong, but haven´t you refused to be with him in the same room from the start? And haven´t you," he turned on Bloodletter, "broken his nose the very same day?"  
"Yes."  
"Yes."  
"So now you´ve joined a masochistic group or what?"  
Rhage grinned. "No way till the group boss is V."

Wrath wiped his eyes under the sunglasses, sighing. "Well, I don´t have the time for this… really." Beth is waiting for me. Upstairs. In bed.  
"You two in my office when Rhage gets better, am I clear?" Both answers came once again in the same time, both positive.

OOO

Wrath left the room reaching with his free hand for George to lead him away. Thinking about how he didn´t like brothers around Bloodletter he realized he was caught up in the web of events he had no control upon. He hated to see the fucker near Vishous. Standing there like he hadn´t screw up his whole life. How could that person help them in anything?

Wrath needed to tell someone. He couldn´t lie anymore to Beth. And he´d already decided.  
"My king." Wrath stunned unprepared for a meeting in the so seemed empty corridor while his mind was wandering far away from his body.  
"V, what are you doing here, erh… I mean, I wanted to talk to you and Butch." Doing a fucking therapist… that´s what are kings for…  
"I´ve just ended my lesson, I´m free."  
The undertone of his voice added some other information as: I´m free and also tired, angry, not in the mood, but I want to have this conversation behind me. They ended together in Wrath´s study. The king sitting in his chair stroking the dog´s fur - some time ago he found it has some good calming effects - and Vishous standing in front of his desk, waiting for him to begin talking.

"You can start with what happened there." The king heard him take a deep breath before answering.  
"The same story as always. He didn´t listen to anyone, took four of them and went out cold. I couldn´t wake him up."  
"Shit…"  
"Yeah."  
Wrath shook his head from side to side. "I really don´t know what to do with him."  
He heard cracking of the chair as V put his ass down. He continued in speaking or more thinking out loud about Butch and the solution which would lead into some kind of deal. V wasn´t cooperating or adding any of his ideas at all. Actually it would be quite acceptable, especially when he is angry - the vibrations were so strong, Wrath didn´t need to look at him to know he is mad as hell. However when it went on and on without any response, even the dog raised his head and barked, Wrath stopped in the middle of the sentence.  
"V, you okay?"  
Suddenly George released himself under Wrath´s hold and disappeared. "Vishous?"  
A quiet painful sound was enough for the king to jump out from his chair and follow the pitiful noise coming from his dog right to the place, where he expected V to be. Wrath managed to find a wooden arm of the seat and brother´s shoulders. According to the position he was in, the king imagined him leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees and face hid in his hands. "V, you hear me?"  
Few seconds there was nothing. Then he breathed out a puzzled "yes" and another moan hit Wrath´s ears much worse than the scream would have. "Shit, talk to me, brother. What´s wrong?"

Right now the king hated the fact, he couldn´t just see for himself, but he had to ask.  
"´m okey, my head…"  
"I´ll call Mannelo."  
"No…"  
He grabbed Wrath by his wrist. "No… It´ll pass."

V tried to steady his breathing, at least that was obvious. He talked like he exactly knew what was happening, which couldn´t be said about Wrath. He was standing there. Waiting. Uneasy.  
"I want you to see a doctor," it was more an order than request and he meant it that way. V´s voice was a lot of stronger when he opened his mouth again.  
"He can´t help me."  
"Why? Explain, V," he let his authority be heard over the tone he chose, "or I´m going to draw your ass to Havers personally. The warning was understood. Wrath wasn´t playing around.  
"It´s connected with my visions."  
"Is there anything I can do? Or anybody?"  
"No," he sounded confident, "I need some good painkillers, that´s all. It strikes only when I´m about to see something big…"  
Wrath furrowed his brows. "You mean a death?" It was quite a pointless question, because he knew before he even asked.  
"It can be a death, yes. I don´t know. It hasn´t happened for a long time."  
"I would sleep better, if you´ll get yourself checked."  
V didn´t uttered a direct no or yes, instead he quickly changed the subject when Wrath returned to his seat. He still heard in brother´s voice he wasn´t good, but that theme was clearly behind them.

OOO

He left his study about half an hour later, went straight to the room, he shared with his shellan and found her sitting on the bed, waiting for him.  
"I´m sorry, it took me so long."  
She took him by the hand. Kissed him.  
"What is it?"  
She knew him so well.  
"I have something to tell you," he said before he could change his mind.

OOO

Butch was sitting on the couch in front of the TV - running some action movie, he wasn´t really watching - with a bottle of Lagavulin in his hand when he heard the door go open and some heavy sounds of boots meeting the floor. He turned his head the way he expected to see Vishous come in. In the poor TV´s light, he saw only his dim features first. Then his eyes got used to a dark and he saw the expression of iceberg on his face, intelligent eyes looking back at him, and those damn tattoos on his temple giving him the more villain look than ever.  
He didn´t say anything, just turned away, probably heading into his room, when Butch ran off the couch, a little lightheaded and jumped in front of him blocking his escape way.  
"Is it going to be like this forever?" he asked trying to sound sober and hella serious at the same time. Vishous looked at him with such intensity that he could very easily have burned holes in Butch´s skull.  
"I´m tired," he frowned.  
"The fuck you are. I´m tired as well," Butch found himself yelling, but what a surprise! He didn´t give a shit.  
"What do you want me to do, V, seriously? Because I´ve been drinking like for three hours now, so I´ll really do anything…" Jesus, it sounded so pathetic even for him.

V stared at him without blinking for 48 seconds. Butch had it counted.  
"I want you to come with me to Commodore."  
"What?"  
"You heard me."


	9. Chapter 9

Butch raised his head towards the tall elegant building and took a deep breath making his chest go up and down with dark expactation. Sitting in the Escalade, in warmth, looking on everything through the window, it didn´t really get to him – the true consequences of his reckless behaving back in the Pit. But standing in V´s Penthouse? The things became pretty real in a very short time.

Butch watched as the black candles got lit in the second as V passed by the center of the room, heading towards the bar. The scene gave Butch chills on his spine. His eyes despite his whole effort went searching for what he knew was there. The toys hanging on the wall, all kinds of restraints, ropes, ball gags, vibrators and the rest of equipment, which should be serving pain or pleasure or both – yeah, still there… And the work table as well, now clean, except the smell Butch inhaled and which clearly confessed it wasn´t always that way.

The smell of female, blood and other fluids could be the reason, why he suddenly felt like there was something really bad increasing deep inside of him. Maybe just a bad feeling, maybe his fucking temper, he obviously couldn´t control, when those crazy thoughts came to laugh in his face asking: "Hey, what are you going to do about it?"  
He quickly turned to Vishous, who was in the moment pouring the lucid liquid into the glass. The light of candles dancing on his face.  
"Were you here after we…" he asked only the half question getting on how sharp his own voice sounded.  
"After we what?"  
He had to truly decide to torture cop. "You know what, don´t play stupid."

Butch continued to look around the apartment, although not really paying attention to anything he saw and he slowly took his jacket off in the process. His eyes then found the other man again, pulling out another bottle and glass.  
"Don´t bother yourself," he marched in front of the bar taking the whole bottle in his hand and moved it towards his mouth returning to his previous post across the room. He tasted the alcohol on his tongue and unfortunately it wasn´t near as calming as he expected.  
"I gave you a question," he reminded after V took a sip from his glass as well. He held Butch´s gaze for a moment.  
"No."  
"What no?"  
"I wasn´t here with anyone."  
Butch exhaled.  
Good.

Then he heard a click of the lighter and slowly the smell of tobacco mixed with air, made it fucking at least more breathable. The silence on other side was getting on cop´s nerves.  
"Why are we here, V?" No response on that. Butch had an idea or two. He took one more sip of the bottle, the longer one than before starting to feel like he is sobering too quickly for his own good.  
"Do you think this scares me off?" he asked eyeing him as he drag from the handmade cigarette like his life depended on the ending the damn thing in a new world record.  
"You´re forgetting it isn´t my first time here."  
He thought about the single spoon he left for V on the table, so he could see, he didn´t really hurt him while their last time here in Commodore. No really touching him or seeing anything in the dark.  
"Right now, I´m just not sure, what is the reason, you´re trying to push me away? Is it because you don´t want to deal with my shits or you don´t want me to deal with yours?"  
Butch knew he hit a right string, when V poured his drink and started to cough aggressively.

Clearing his throat he rested his hands on the bar supporting him.  
"Will you answer me at least at one of my questions?"  
"Yes." Bastard.  
"I know this is not just about me and lesser stuff. So talk."

Vishous looked Butch straight into eyes, frowning, with a new cigarette between his fingers. "I was thinking, when you were out," he pronounced slowly, "this is not good. We shouldn´t continue in this."  
Butch hasn´t moved a muscle while his brain was processing what he just heard.  
"Why?"  
He heard Vishous exhaled. And curse.  
"I just don´t think you´re thinking straight right now. I used a situation soon after you split up with Marissa. Dragging you into all this shit. You are not like me. I don´t want you to misunderstood an attractiveness with gratitude."  
"Gratitude?" repeated Butch honestly confused.  
V sighed. Put a new cigarette down.  
"When I heal you… It´s a strong connection. Your body is calling for me even when you´re unconscious. Hell, you don´t even know… You´re always calling my name, searching for me."

Well, this was new for Butch. He had no idea he did this. He could only imagine how desperate he had to look in front of him.  
"You need me. And it can be only… a physical thing." Butch gave him one you´re-fucking-kidding-me look.  
"What am I? A fucking dog? So I pair with any other dog, I see, only because it´s natural for me? Maybe it´s a surprise for you, Vishous, but I do choices. Yeah, there is something right about the healing part," he admitted, "but it doesn´t make me do things I don´t want to. It doesn´t make me kiss just anyone…"  
"That´s not what I meant, cop."

Butch found himself moving closer and closer to the spot, where V was standing. It wasn´t fun talking across the room anymore.  
"I know exactly what you meant. You think you´re making me do something I don´t want to. But it´s not like it. I´m not a man of worth and you are not a freak. We´re just two normal people or as normal as we can be. So please, be so kind, and let me make my own decisions, will you?"  
Butch looked at the bottle, he was holding. It was empty. How the hell that happened? His eyes again wandered deeper in the apartment. "You still didn´t tell me, why are we here."  
He put the bottle on the bar.

"Do you want to use those things on me?" Butch didn´t want to ask that, but when it was finally out, he felt like a rock just fell down from his chest. V´s eyes shone in the dark and one corner of his lips went up while slightly shaking his head.  
"No, cop. That´s not for you. Unless you want it."  
"But you use those on others?"  
"I don´t care about others."  
Butch stayed quiet, looking intensively at each other he felt heat once again entering his body from toes to head like he´s just stepped into a volcano.  
"So no ropes for me?"  
"As I said."

There were only inches separating the two of them in the moment. Vishous was breathing heavily, the smell of Butch´s cologne and something undoubtedly Irish fulfilling his lungs. Suddenly the cop´s hand rose up and found a place firstly on V´s neck and then sinking into the raven black hair.  
"Are you sure, you want to do this?" He whispered against his mouth.  
"I´m not sure in anything. "  
Butch had closed his eyes, before their bodies crashed into each other, his other hand resting on the side of V´s shoulder, feeling hard muscles under the tiny fabric, tightening its grip. He felt V´s hand too, under his jaw, touching it slightly, rubbing it with his fingers. He pulled him closer by clinging on Butch´s hips.  
And there it was. Their mouths colliding.

Cop´s heart was pounding in his ears like a fucking helicopter while Vishous ligthly licked his lower lip and penetrated the way inside. Slowly, like asking for permission, he didn´t need. His tongue fulfilled every corner of Butch´s mouth, dancing around and sending electric impulses to cop´s body. After two seconds he was sure he is at the edge of cardiac arrest. This couldn´t be so good as it felt.  
The gentle kiss transformed into something much deeper and stronger because of both of them trying to win over each other. The early awkwardness was gone. Butch´s hands exactly knew where they wanted to be. His body responded on the heat of the other body in its own way. His lips were moving easily, automatically, searching for new ways how to synchronize all of it into one perfect form.

They only parted when there was no air left. Chest on chest, face to face. V´s diamond eyes locked into Butch´s.  
The view was gorgeous.  
Vishous blushing in cheeks with heat, lips parted catching a breath. His hair messed up in every side – cop´s work, eyes burning with passion and possessiveness, and that black tattoo on his temple made him look like a god.  
"I won´t be able to stop." It was a warning made by his hoarse deep voice while showing his fangs inside of his mouth. In the next second Butch felt something hard pressed against his crotch. God, he was in the pretty much same state by now.

"Don´t… stop," he whispered and was immediately pinned to the wall. His back meeting the coolness behind him. Lips captured by V´s, hands in hair, touching, melting, groaning. The waves of tremors moving with Vishous and in connection also with him completed a perfect harmony between them. Brother´s arms encircled his back, pulling him into embrace in the way Butch felt their hard sex rubbing together.

He had no time to think about how fucking unhetero this was. He didn´t want to think about anything else than his best friend, who knew exactly what to do, where and when. It was him who broke the kiss to move on cop´s neck, testing his sensuality on the highest mode, supporting him with his hand from behind. The feelings overwhelmed Butch completely. He stopped fighting over who wins tonight, cursing, but surrounding completely to his roommate´s will.  
"´h my God…"  
When the hand suddenly found his crotch, he gasped for air. Tensing, feeling how Vishous was reacting on every move he did. Butch knew that he knew, what was he doing to him. How much power he had over him now. Fuck. Those damn thoughts, V´s closeness and his hand almost non-touching was enough for Butch´s cock to sets its own mind. He tried to stop what was coming, getting away. But it was already too late.

A groan escaped his mouth. His body giving up in the same time. Without Vishous supporting him as he swayed down, he would surely end up on the ground with waves of orgasm playing with his body. But he didn´t let him go. He held him in his arms, letting him rest his back against the wall, while it all passed slowly leaving a comforting numb feeling behind.

One more second he was realizing small things like V´s breath against his neck, their large chests and shoulders moving together, his legs acting like they have no bones in them and that was it. He let himself be dragged away from the wall to bed. Falling into black pillows, realizing someone is taking off his boots.  
He had his eyes closed, wasn´t even fully awake, when the mattress descended under another weight.  
"´m sorry," he murmured.  
"What for?" asked the voice.  
"That lesser… shouldn´t threatened you… in front of me."  
"He did?"  
"Ya, ´cause of that, I did…" He didn´t end the sentence.  
After a minute of silence, Vishous spoke again.  
"You don´t have to risk your life because of me. I´m not worth it."  
Butch squeezed the pillow under his head, shifting to his side, eyes still closed.  
"Ya´re worth it. I would die for you."  
Vishous watched the back of his best friend from the other side of the bed. The corners of his lips forming a smile.  
"I would die for you too."

OOO

Bloodletter was sitting in his room. He wasn´t doing anything particular, when the door flew open and hit the wall behind them. But he didn´t expect to see a female marching inside with cold eyes and king on her side.  
"You…" she said, her face mirroring pure hatred. She slapped him on his cheek, made his head turn to the side. He turned back at her and she slapped him again, tears forming in her eyes.  
"Beth," the king joined in.  
"No, Wrath. I need to tell him." She gave Bloodletter a storming look.  
"I don´t know what your plans are. But I don´t want you any near him, you understand?" The memory of Wrath saying the same appeared in his mind.  
"You hurt him, or anyone else from my family, and I can assure you, you´re not gonna rise from the death again, you hear me?"  
"Yes, my queen."  
"You´re lucky it´s me and Wrath and not some of the brothers, they would kill you without blinking."  
She turned away. The king following her without word. Only then Bloodletter felt another presence in the room.  
He sat back on the bed.  
"You deserved it."  
He knew.


	10. Chapter 10

The awareness came quickly without any gentleness or preparation. In one moment Butch was having the best sleep in his entire life, the second he was sitting in a black silk on the bed alone, rubbing his eyes and looking around, wondering where he was.  
The smell of tabaco, spice and sex mixing all together met his senses soon after, partly explaining his confusion.  
Shit.  
The memories of previous night came back as well together with the one name forming in his mind. The name of his best friend, who brought him here to scare him off, to punish his recklessness, to prevent exactly what happened yesterday. Butch took in V´scent, inhaling deeply as much as his lungs could take. The simple act brought a familiar feeling to his guts. His body instantly remembering all the touches, kisses, the closeness he experienced last night and it made his cock twitch. Hell no, buddy, no way and not now…

He moved on the edge of the bed, still trying to persuade his friend down there to behave while leaving the already loosened tie behind. His shirt was on, few buttons undone, his pants too. Butch looked for his Armani shoes and found them placed on the other side of the bed. He left them there, stepping barefoot on the floor. It was then when another smell filled his nostrils – the unmistakable odor of good warm food somewhere deeper in the apartment.

He followed it without second though, listening to his stomach making loud sounds of approval while doing so. Well, the atmosphere in the apartment wasn´t near as disturbing as it was the night before. Windows covered with blinds, the flame of candles replaced by artificial light and without looking at "forbidden" part of the equipment, Butch felt like waking up in the very luxury hotel room.

And the view of Vishous making pancakes with a concentrated expression on his face was just a cherry on the top.  
"Hey," he said, clearing his throat, making V´s head to rise up the same second. They eyes met for a moment, restoring a warm feeling in Butch´s body.  
"Hey," came an answer in return. He eyed him from head to toe, something wild in his stare, before his attention slipped to whatever he was doing down on the board. Butch took a seat on the nearby bar chair resting his hands on the desk.  
"Is that for me?"  
"It is."  
"I didn´t know you can cook," it escaped Butch´s mouth before he could really think it through, "I mean... well… can you?"

One corner of V´s mouth went up in a cocky smile.  
"Cop, are you aware of that I can speak 16 languages, hack a fucking Pentagon while sleeping or burn the person down with the touch of my finger?! Do you really thing I can´t make a breakfast on my own?"  
"You´re forgetting your special abilities with drawing people insane."  
"Yeah, that too."

Butch shifted a little thinking about the reason why he didn´t feel any near comfortable in his own clothes. "Do you think I can take a shower? It will be quick."  
"Of course."  
"Can I borrow…" he wasn´t given a chance to end the sentence, with V interrupting: "They are already there."  
Ok. So he was remembering Butch´s show last night as well. Perfect. Fuck. He was blushing. He should stop doing that - looking like a schoolgirl.

The pouring hot water was – just as he thought – the right way for him to cool down. Using a fine soap, he felt fresh and new, prepared for eating anything V is about to serve him without being picky. In his white T-shirt with Red Sox printed in the middle and tight jeans, he felt awkwardly good, like in his own clothes, considering this was as far from his style as the Yankees from winning a cup.  
Butch tried not to think much about V not letting him any underwear and what that it meant if the little talk he had in the morning won´t work for some reason. For example because of Vishous staring at him all the way to the chair.  
"It smells amazing. I thought the fridge here had to have some secret use, but I couldn´t be sure till now."  
V smiled, passing the plate on the other side of the bar and taking a seat in the opposite direction. He recalled his call soon after Butch fell asleep and Fritz answering the phone. The butler was maybe surprised getting a request for delivering groceries to Commodore, but it didn´t show in his voice nor in his happy face, after V met him at the door. What mattered was that he could serve his master and he did it with pleasure and honor.

-III-

 _"You should call home, sir. They are worrying. The sun is about to appear in two hours. Master Butch isn´t at home either." Fritz added the last words because he knew V would like to know if anything was happening with cop._  
 _"I forgot my phone. You can tell them, Firtz. Butch is here with me. We are spending here the day." He pat him friendly on the shoulder._  
 _"Thank you for coming."_  
 _The cheerful smile appeared on doggen´s face._  
 _"Anytime, sir."_

-III-

Vishous wasn´t able to break the eye connection starting with Butch taking his first bite. Watching him eat and making pleasant sounds gave him pleasure, he didn´t know even existed.  
"You don´t eat?" cop asked with a frown.  
"No. Not hungry." And I want to watch you eating what I prepared for you. Maybe Butch couldn´t understand it, but he probably knew, it was somehow important for V, so he didn´t talk more until he finished his meal completely. He looked satisfied.  
"It was delicious," he admitted, "Maybe after you retire, you could think about taking some courses and maybe make a career."  
"Yeah, whatever, cop."  
"I´m not joking." He was. Of course, he was. His relaxed posture and happy face gave him away. Butch started to look around.  
"You slept here?" Suddenly his voice changed into seriousness with him nodding towards the couch.  
"I did," V confirmed. There was a black sheet visible and pillow on one side, not like the police officer needed such obviously proofs.  
"Why didn´t you stay with me?" He sounded touched be the fact.

The simple answer would be that V thought he overstepped some rules the night before and it seemed to him right not to push any harder. After all he forced Butch to come here with his ignorance for fuck´s sake. "I wanted to let you have your space." Or something like this. Butch stayed quiet, maybe thinking, Vishous didn´t know and it was really making no good to his mental health.  
"Do you leave everyone alone in that bed, after you end with her or him or is it just me?" he murmured at least, the hurt masked in his deep irish accent almost undetectable, if V wouldn´t know him so well.  
"I´ve never brought anyone to the bed, except you."  
That one caught Butch attention. His brown eyes found V´s. The look mirroring what was on his mind.  
"I wasn´t sure if you want me to stay." Butch gave him a quick laugh.  
"Really, V? After you made me com into my pants, you think I don´t want you staying near me?" Fuck. This shouldn´t be reminded right now.  
"Next time, when I´ll faint like a fucking Barbie, you have my approval to lie your ass down next to me, especially when we are in your apartment."

Vishous was sure as hell it wasn´t supposed to sound so hot and make him instantly hard down there only mentioning the "next time" line.  
"I get it."  
"I´m glad you do."  
He didn´t dare to move and prayed to all gods he knew, Butch won´t get the idea either. He didn´t need to see him already turned up right now.  
"I wanted to ask you about something you said yesterday," he suddenly remembered hoping this would help to seduce the damn boner under the black leather. What else should if not a talking about enemy?  
"I have some blur spots there, you mind to remind me?"  
"You said the fourth lesser you took in, have meant a threat for me."

For a moment Butch´s expression changed, coldness filling his eyes and lips narrowing in a straight line. None of that was addressed to a man sitting opposite.  
"Yes, I thought he would talk, when he was the only one left," and coward as it looked, "I wanted him to spill up, where are the girls. But it was taking too long. I wasn´t sure how much more can I wait, till I won´t be able to suck the bastard."  
Vishous was aware of that Butch is trying to recall the situation looking somewhere behind him. "I think he didn´t know anything about them or he would give it out. But there was something else he told me."  
He held his stare on V´s face, fire burning inside.  
"He said that the Brotherhood is going to its end and you are the first to die."

The silence in the room was cut off by Vishous smirking.  
"He was only fucking with you. He knew he is about to…"  
"No, V," Butch didn´t let him finish, "I know it was something more. You wasn´t there. That mad look on his face… He was telling the truth."  
"So you did that one too?"  
"Yes, this or I would go cold anyway. I thought that, if I could get a little deeper in the fucker, I could find out what he was talking about."  
Vishous connected his fingers over the bar, sighing.  
"Did you?"  
Cop´s eyes ran away and his head slowly began to shake negatively. The small ironic laugh escaped his lips.  
"No, I got lost in him, couldn´t find my way back."

V gave him a you-don´t-say look and stood up with an idea that this is the perfect time to start his first drink for the day. Now he couldn´t get rid of the stupid image of Butch lying on the ground unconscious with him barking on everyone to step away.  
"You don´t believe me, do you?"  
"I think you overreacted." Ok, not a clear yes or no. So it was maybe V´s fault when Butch´s chair made a horrible sound by moving against the floor a second later and another one when, he got a cop in his face.  
"Do you think I´m overeating by wanting to know who wants to kill my brothers? Who wants to hurt you?"  
"You know how I meant it."  
"No, I don´t. Maybe you should just go on with being angry at me, because I´m worrying about your damn ass, you ungrateful son of a bitch." V narrowed his diamond eyes as his fangs made their way out of his mouth.  
"You should stop talk like this."  
"Or what?"  
"Or I´ll make you."

V was sure, that Butch clearly felt the aggression coming from his body and the motherfucker didn´t even flinch, when he grabbed him by his neck – no gentleness this time, only raw and pure unfaking need to prove him that he gave a shit, if the cop cared about him or not. Did he expect a punch?  
Not a one this time…  
He pressed their lips together, passionately and thirsty.  
Feeling Butch´s body loosing the tense, moving against him in the next seconds, leaning into him, holding tight on V´s arms, was the only thing that mattered so far. Hell, they could stay like that for eternity and it wouldn´t be enough. The separation afterwards hurt like the cut was made by a currently sharpened knife.

"I want to touch you," V breathed out, "really touch you." His eyes now fully connected with his soul – charming and sincere. "Can I?" They were still standing on the same spot, holding onto each other.  
"Fuck… yes…" The voice was hoarse. V wasn´t about to ask twice. He wasn´t any near the state to regain a control upon himself nor did he try to hide the "thing" between his legs. Virgin screws him, if he had any fucking clue, how they got in the bed so fast. The mattress sank under their weight, cop lying beneath him, his eyes locked on V´s face surrounding completely to whatever Vishous wanted to do with him.  
Damn, he looked gorgeous.  
With his lips parted, breathing heavily, waiting.

V opened his mouth to say something, maybe asking again if this was alright – that was before the cop ran against his lips, kissing him deeply and erasing everything what was on his mind. His hands rose to V´s hips, settling on his back, while the brother moved with his tongue on Butch´s neck. That was the hella of ride he gave him there. Kissing and licking and biting all over again down and up.  
"Jesus… Christ…"  
Cop tightened his grip, when he felt Vishous scratching his skin with his fang and sucking the drop of blood escaping from the vein.  
"Do you like it?" Because there wasn´t a way he had a fucking clue what was he doing. He wasn´t the one, who use to give a pleasure or care. But with cop? He wanted to be the most gentle man on the damn planet.  
"This… mmn… good…" he moaned, turning his head to the side to make more place for V´s mouth.

The chickens could be falling from the sky and he would barely notice. The pure sensation. That was exactly what it was. Feeling the tickling of goatee, absorbing the spicy smell. Butch let him to take off his T-shirt, exposing his bare chest for the touch of the gloved hand. The brother´s hips moved against Butch´s, rubbing their erections together. He moaned closing his eyes for a moment and opening in instant seeing the lust and dangerous threat behind those beautiful diamonds of the man above him.  
He cursed, when he heard the zip on his pants moving.  
"You want to know what I did after you went to bed yesterday?"  
Almost animal groan escaped Butch, when his cock freed itself and rubbed against V´s uncovered abdomen.  
"Don´t… fuck… with… me…"  
He heard him laugh. A really orgasmic, highly erotic laugh.  
"I´m not."  
He was completely imprisoned under the male weight.  
"Yet."  
Butch twisted between sheets and pressed his head back to the pillow as he knew his pants were sliding a little down on his legs, his naked ass sinking into bed.  
"I want to… know…" he whispered, feeling V´s hand making its way to the exact spot. It enclosed around Butch´s erection with him gasping for air in the same moment.  
"I went to the bathroom."  
He stroked.  
"I was hard… so hard…"  
More stroking…  
"I touched myself."  
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.  
"And I cum. Three times."  
Breathe. Just don´t stop breathing.  
"Butch, I want you to look at me."  
Cop opened his eyes he wasn´t aware he had closed. His arms supporting him, while he lifted his head.  
"Yeah. That´s good. I want you to watch me."  
God, he did. He did watch him. He watched his face and a tip of his own cock in a crazy rhythm of stroking and squeezing.  
"Watch what I´m doing to you, Butch. Do you want me to stop?"  
"No…" more like a scream than a plea.  
"Come for me. I want to see it."

Hell. Cop was covered in sweat. His muscles tightening in a fucking brick wall. And he didn´t escape with his eyes. He was following V´s moves up and down, breathing hard, with madness knocking on his door. His mind was filled with only one thought – that he could easily die from the fucking shock as he´s never experienced anything like this in his whole life. The combination of pleasure and gentle pain serving from the master to him. Every cell in his body was screaming for more.  
"Vishous," he heard himself calling out and he suddenly remembered what V told him before - how he is always calling for him.  
"Say it again."  
Butch took a deep breath. Shaking. His cock giving out the white drops.  
"Vishous!"  
He came.  
All over V´s hand.

Everything stopped as his body was set on the fire, orgasming in full force. He was holding onto brother´s huge shoulders, while it all passed – maybe an hour later?, pulling him down next to him immediately after his brain lit again.  
"I…" Fuck. He was out of breath. Out of words.  
"I want… to… take… care..." Come on. Just say it finally. "of you… too."  
Cop hadn´t had much experience behind him, less with males, but devil takes him if he couldn´t manage somehow. He just wanted to give V what he gave to him, the exact thing, which was right now making him still trembling with deadly delirium. He wanted to see him, to have him.  
"No, Butch, this wasn´t supposed to be about me."  
He cleaned him, covered both with silk sheets.  
"I want to give you… the same…"  
Their eyes were locked onto each other. Seeing Vishous smiling the way Butch knew was because of the cop and only him, he moved closer, embracing the bastard with his left hand. Leaving the head resting on his heart.  
"Hell, you did, cop. You did."


	11. Chapter 11

"And this is where you go… You see? You just click on this. Yeah… Look! And ta-daaaaa…" Rhage mimiced a victorious gesture with his hands making Bloodletter flinch back in the fear of losing his eyes, although not too far because of the lack of place on the small couch they were resting on. Blondie grabbed so called notebook and turned the screen to the side for him.  
"It´s a fucking Youtube man, you can find any videos there," he fake coughed, "actually not every, if you know what I mean."  
Bloodletter look stunned.  
"No, I don´t."

The small series of laugh and smiles were heard across the room with brothers and their shellans present, everyone who heard the statement. His eyes flew across the room. Phury was playing some game with his mate Cormia on the ground and he was deadly focused. More like he would be if he was planning some death mission instead of throwing the dice on the board. Zsadist sat in the distance with Bella and their young. Every time the small girl wandered through the room on her four and ended up near him, the big "scary" guy jumped out and carried her away. Right now he seemed to be the most dangerous one, because of the protective aggression he let out in the air each time he eyed the stranger among them.

Rhage´s Mary was missing. She and the king´s shellan excused themselves half an hour ago and they haven´t returned yet. But Rhage himself was so much taken into things he was showing to Bloodletter that he didn´t even notice her absence, the same for the king, who was sitting occupied with tones of paper behind the table.  
"It works the same as the TV, but here you can search for what you would like to see…"  
"TV?"  
Rhage stopped in the middle of clicking. "Oh, hell, I should start with that one…"  
"That´s the big black flat thing on your wall, you need to have remote control to use it," explained Phury looking away from his game. Obviously just lost it. "You should have let me win for once, leelan," he whispered toward his shellan´s ear teasing her.

Bloodletter knew he would never be here with them, seeing all of this, if there wasn´t for a last night fight in the street. The one in which was his son and his friend missing and the one in which he prevented Phury from getting shot right into middle of his chest. It all happened too quickly for him to remember all detailes. He saw the brother in a danger and he knew he had to do something immediately. Watching out for those people were the only option how to get closer, that much he knew.  
Now Bloodletter remembered his talk with Scribe Virgin after queen and king left his room. It was their first meeting after she tossed him into this world without any preparation or a proper hint what to do and where to go. Fortunately, the fate took its turn.

-"I didn´t ask you why you agreed to my plan," she said, her voice calm and steady.  
Bloodletter smiled, the feeling of superiority filled him.  
She maybe decides who ends up in the paradise and who not, but it was certain she has never seen how the hell looked like from the first hand. And she was curious.  
"I didn´t want to rot in that place any longer, it is that simple."  
"So after all, you are doing this for yourself."-  
He said yes. But in his mind something deep down was whispering, he is a liar.

"You know what is hell about?" he heard himself talk suddenly, "you experience the worst scenarios of your life… all over again."  
"I imagined it like this."  
"It is not just that."  
She was still standing behind his back and he didn´t try to move either.  
"You see the bad what happened to you and the bad you did. But ironically the far worse are deeds you´ve done to someone. In that place I saw what I´ve done to my son million times."  
He gave himself few seconds to continue.  
"It wasn´t only the scene how I remembered it. I felt all…"  
Now he looked at her.  
"I´ve destroyed him."  
What he could tell on his defense? That he was a one screwed motherfucker, who didn´t know what to do with himself, or his soldiers or his own son? He had always seen the child only a handicap for a warrior, who needed to fight for the survival of the race. He´d treated him like any other man in the camp."  
"Like an animal," she ended his thought making him twitch.  
"Yes, like that."  
"Are you regretting it?"  
Bloodletter was about to response in different words: "I thought, I´ll made him strong, independent. But I was wrong." The same way how I was raised up.  
"You´ll see what you´ve made of him. Sooner or later."

Bloodletter woke up from his memories remembering this to be the last sentence he heard before she left. The brothers were still on the same positions as in the time, when his thoughts started to drift away, but now their heads were all indicating on the two newcomers entering the large living room.  
"Hey, you two, mind to join us finally?" Someone uttered a question, but more after that was heard, even the king eyed them a little bit furiously, but then seeing that the dramatic atmosphere between them has successfully changed, he just let out a deep breath.  
"Next time, when you want a time off to fix your…" he looked at the small girl and Zsadist standing behind her – his brows almost connected expressing quiet warning, "things… what about leaving some message for your… concerned and loving king, eh?"  
"Yeah. Sure."  
"Of course."

Bloodletter watched the two of them be ordered by a king to get ready for the night – all nice and politely. And soon after they uttered some greetings, both indeed left for their business and Rhage suddenly raised his head from the computer grinning.  
"What is it, Hollywood?" asked the scarred one holding his daughter with one arm and his shellan by her side also preparing for a leave.  
"I just… heh, am I the only one seeing this a little strange? Well," he began to explain, his smile even widened, "how can be they so good after they returned from a Commodore?"  
"You should watch your mouth, man, have you got too much teeth?"  
He showed his hands in a protective gesture.  
"Ok… sensitive subject… I get it." But his smile didn´t go any near smaller.

He and Bloodletter were the only folks left, after everyone cleared the space. Good time to ask things. Maybe the only time, he´ll get.  
"What was this about?" Rhage´s eyes met his, but the playful joy was gone.  
"It´s a kind of intern stuff, buddy. Sorry… hey, where are you going? Hey, come on! Don´t be mad! I can tell you something about me, if you want… I have plenty of that… Hey!"

He caught him regardless later on the stairs. The only meaningful information Bloodletter got was, when blondie said: "They are close, you saw what cop does… We are only joking around." And he remembered just that in the moment, Butch stopped him alone on their way from the mansion.  
"Hey, man, ugh, I wanted to thank you… you know, for helping V with me two nights ago?"  
He was in the full armor, guns lightly visible under his jacket, plenty of hidden knives on the other places as well.  
"Any time," Bloodletter saw that he had something else on his mind.  
"Can I ask you something?"  
"Of course."  
"Was it bad… like really bad? Did V freak out a lot? I´m kinda scarred to ask him, we are finally getting well again."

Bloodletter remained silent thinking about what to say. He played the evening all over again before his eyes. He decided to tell the truth. "I remember him yelling at anyone who wanted to touch you, taking you all by himself to the car. He had to drive it, but he did it only with one hand, with other one he was holding you. We were very silent after we realized he was counting your heartbeats. He didn´t move from you, when you were sleeping, not even once."  
Bloodletter didn´t try to hide that he was impressed by this acting. And he purposely chose the words according to this impression. He has never had such a friend.  
"He cares about you deeply."  
Because the connection, he thought. The two of them were bonded to each other in a very special way, he saw that the same moment as Butch´s body asked for his son, needed him to clear him from the darkness, they all felt. Although Bloodletter was scared to hell from that gloved hand - maybe even more than from what he witnessed as "eating part" - he had clearly seen that Vishous is saving him, healing, drawing him back to this world. He didn´t know that the hand of his could bring anything else than destruction. He learnt better.  
"Shit. I´ve hoped… eh… So I´ve probably deserved those punches after all." The small smile appeared on his lips.  
"Thank you, really."  
You shouldn´t be thanking me, lad. He didn´t say it out loud, however he would bet the man knew it.

OOO

Butch gripped the dagger hard in his hand, feeling the coldness of the steal with his fingers. His eyes pinned to the lesser´s pale skin appearing in the light of the street lamp as he was slowly moving with his friend in cop´s and V´s direction.  
"Look, finally some fun for us tonight."  
It was already two hours of the night shift behind them with no one crossing their path. They were pumped up and all ready for some good fight and aftermath.  
Vishous copying Butch´s movements, making a small distance between them, not too large, if anything went wrong in some case, added a gun to the blade in his hand.  
"I´ll take the one on the left."  
Butch heard a muttered agreement, before they both startled up for their man, feeling the familiar wave of adrenalin taking over. The night was young and promising. All brothers were on the strings to find some proper information about the missing girls for a good while and maybe to do some proper damage in the process too. And tonight?  
Butch wasn´t any near good in predicting future as V was, but something was telling him, they will succeed.

His boots thundered in the silence of the empty streets as he run towards the stinking figure, who had just spotted him drawing his gun from the coat at the same moment.  
The motherfucker didn´t got a chance.  
The weapon fell out from his hand as it was a baby doll held by a three years old child, caused by Butch´s hands performing the very well trained maneuver he remembered from the academy. The lesser ended on the ground pinned with Butch´s dagger to the fucking cement as the to-do-list on the notice board. The black blood running wild from the wound and more came after Butch pulled out his Glock and took few shots to the moaning body, just to be sure, he won´t be going anywhere before questioning.  
He turned to the side looking for V, with a delighted expression on his face, assured by the sudden silence that his fight was over as well. What a fucking surprise was finding him standing in front of the bastard vulnerable with his eyes almost closed and gun pointed at his heart.

OOO

Some scientists are saying that we now live in am age, when time passes faster than it had had in past. It is considered to be not only our belief or point of view, but a result of the earth´s core´s frequency rising with decades. In different words it means that our second doesn´t last a second anymore. It´s twice more faster. So is the minute and the hour.  
Butch read the damn article like week ago and suddenly he remembered every word… no, not just remembered, he felt it present on his own skin.

It was the time running. The time between the realization and reaction. The time, that could kill or save.  
The second he raised his hand and pulled the trigger didn´t last twice as fast… it didn´t last at all… He just did it in no time.

Feeling the overwhelming satisfaction as he heard a bullet penetrating his target´s head and dagger running for his heart, no more shots were made as the lesser swayed down. He almost cried out of pure relief. The terror but didn´t leave him at all, it made him want to grab the stupid vampire in front of him and beat some good sense into his empty head.  
"What the fuck was that?" he asked halfway close.  
"Do you have a death wish, brother?"  
It wasn´t like V couldn´t handle one rat on his own. Jesus Christ, he could easily make a fucking torch of himself if nothing else.

Butch approached him kicking the lesser´s gun out of reach just in case. He wanted to ask him again what was that about… he thought this shits were already behind them.  
But he asked: "Are you okay?" instead noticing the cut on his hand bleeding, Butch´s voice changing in a concerned tone however didn´t lose all YOU IDIOT STYLE so easy.  
"Perfect fine," the cold answer hit him right into his face reminding him that the brother wasn´t just all love-talkie, the most time he just acted like a fucking iceberg he was. How could he forget it was never that simple with him?  
"What happened?"  
"Leave it, cop." Fuckin´Asshole.

There was no need of searching anything sterile, because of Vishous simply tearing up his own T-shirt at the bottom and making himself a bandage in the all Rambo-style. Without any asking for help. Typical. Then he bent over to pick up something from the ground – his gun. How the hell did it get there?  
Suddenly, the last parts of the theory processed by Butch´s police mode, fit into right places and he knew the answer without searching in those diamond eyes.  
"Was it your head again?"

The frown.  
Silence.  
Bingo… 1:0 for Butch.

Well, it wasn´t so unexpected. Despite V´s enormous effort to hide his discomfort during the last few days, Butch was aware of that he was still having the problems. One wrinkled forehead, shutting his eyes, when the light was too bright, his hand moving time to time away from his goatee on his temple.  
He did notice this.  
But in the same time he knew, there wasn´t a single thing he could do about it. It was certain as hell how Vishous would react, if he´d tried to confront him. So instead cop was waiting and hoping he will come to him when he´ll feel like it. No pushing. No forced comfort. That was until of course he decided to become a fucking salt pillar just when the bad guy feels like shooting someone.  
"Hey, I´m talking to you!"  
"I said, leave it," his strict answer didn´t approve any room for negotiating.  
"No fucking way."

His face formed into mask of stone, eyes avoiding any contact. "We have a work to do." Butch was shoved off like he didn´t weight any more than a little girl, so V could bent over the bleeding but still present lesser on the ground.  
"I will be very clear. You tell me, where are you bastards holding the girls and I don´t let Dhestroyer to eat you. I´ll kill you instead. How do you like it, motherfucker?"  
His hair showed the remains of brown shade. Maybe a week ago they were just like Butch´s.  
"I… don´t want… to… die…" He was spitting the blood.  
"You should have thought about it before you joined Omega´s little party."  
The lesser´s eyes were glistening. He was shaking his head, making even more blood escaping his body after the movement.  
"I didn´t… know…"  
This didn´t lead anywhere. It was far too late to be sorry or regretful, thought Butch leaving the argument for now.  
"Tell us, where are the girls, if you know. Do a one good thing before you die." The man´s face twisted in emotions, he blinked, his lower lip moving awkwardly.  
"Don´t… know… the phone…" Butch realized that he was trying to point at his comrade.  
"His… phone… I don´… know…"  
Cop went for it searching in the pockets.  
"Got it."

He handed it to Vishous, who unlocked it and typed something on the screen.  
"The fucking i-phone, unbelievable…" he heard him murmuring.  
"Is there something?"  
The positive answer was at least a step forward. However they didn´t celebrate in advance - the sudden progress could mean information or empty hands on the end.  
"What do we do with him?"  
Butch didn´t regret listening to his senses on this matter. The guy told them the truth – as it seemed. He was obviously screwed up. Cop let him decide.  
"Want to go back or to free yourself?"  
"I don´… wan´… back…"  
Good choice.

This time cop held his promise. He did his thing quickly, leaving the darkness infect his body only for it to be pulled out later with the help of his brother in the safety of the Pit. There in the bed with warm body next to him, healing him and embracing, Butch didn´t want Vishous to leave him. No matter how mad he was about the thing earlier.  
"I need to check up the phone," was the reason, why was Butch left alone in the sheets anyway. He cursed. A lot. But he understood.

The confirmation that he had done a right thing back there in the street came an hour later in the king office with everyone present. The phone was lying on the big oak table next to the laptop, where the information was running on the screen and V on the right side encircling the spot red on the map.  
"We can´t be sure. It can be a trap. The messages were scripted in codes, but still it was too easy compared to how long we are already trying to find the girls."  
"You were there, Butch, what do you think?" The king was staring at him like everyone else, "was he telling the truth?"  
"It´s not like we have a choice."

They needed to check the place no matter if it was a trap or not.  
"That´s right."  
The king then started to bark orders and the plans began to run wild. All brothers were giving their ideas about the best way how to get unnoticed to the old farmhouse which represented the red mark in the nearby of Hudson. It would be wise to go see the place first, but no one suggested such a thing. They simply didn´t want to waste any more time. According to what was left in the lesser´s phone, the girls were alive, but that fact could change every second.

The rescue mission was held next night. Brothers were full of expectation, but they also kept their shits together. Every one of them wanted to return back to his shellan. And Butch wanted to return to his scotch , so he could think about how to make V a little bit more social.  
And when the hour came, from everything, what happened, the one moment carved into his memory forever. The moment, when he, Rhage and Vishous opened the door of the basement and from the dark were carried quiet yips, followed by a pale ghost girls faces appearing in the switched light.

That was the cop´s work - make them feel safe, ensure them they were saved and no one will ever hurt them, especially not brothers. Hell, it wasn´t as easy as it sounded.  
The girls were scared to death. They were prepared to die, not to be found.

And that was the big moment, when V suddenly stepped out, approaching the first girl – the youngest one with his gloved hand raised towards her. He said something in old language. The girl pushed down the sobs breaking from her throat and her eyes filled with new tears. She took his hand and ran against his chest with a force, which made him take a step back. He actually hugged her too for a few heartbeats, then he let her go and the brothers took her out. The rest of the girls and women followed the example, but stayed near Vishous never being far behind him as they left their prison.  
They counted six of them.  
"There weren´t any more girls with you?"  
The one with the blond dirty hair who looked like copying the best nodded.  
"We were nine on the start, but they took three girls away, later said they were… they killed them…"  
So they were late after all. Butch´s mood went dark as others did too. The priority was to transport the girls as fast as they could. They were still on the enemy´s territory, although they managed to kill the two guards.

Vishous drove the escalade. There was something on cop´s mind when he placed his ass in the Jeep with Rhage as passenger.  
"What did he tell them?"  
"V?"  
"Yeah…"  
Rhage looked out of the window, when the engine screamed with rage.  
"I´m like you. Look at me and take my hand. I´m taking you home… That´s what he said."


	12. Chapter 12

Butch marched into the emergency room still dressed in the combat clothes finding there Mannelo just as he expected - standing in his white coat and big dark circles under his eyes in front of the woman in her early twenties, dressing the sewed wound on her arm into a bandage. The both of them looked up to him.  
"Hey," he said, trying for the smile. The woman shyly returned the gesture of sympathy, moving her eyes again on what was happening to her body.  
"The last one?"  
Mannelo nodded not even looking at him.  
"Only flesh wounds, nothing serious from a physical point of view. They´ll be okay." Psychological side? Not so sure…  
"V?"  
"He is in the next room," Manello´s eyes met his for a few seconds, "with a girl."

The woman turned her face to Butch, her expression mirroring the same dark thoughts he´s being seeing on every victim who survived something horrible during his years working in the police department. Looking tough on outside, but broken under the surface. He knew only one cure for that.  
"You´re gonna by alright. We´re takin´ you to your family as soon as the doctor is done." He felt better after saying this and truly hoped the woman understood she is no longer in her nightmare.  
"It´s almost over, you go for Vishous," addressed him Mannelo calmly waking him up from his own thoughts.

"Yeah…" he murmured, moving away from the scene. He intended to enter the room, where V and the girl was in an instant, not wasting any more time, but something about the sounds coming from there made him stop before he could fully open the door. He looked in via small space between it and the door frame.

He couldn´t find the girl at first, her presence confirmed only by a quiet giggling, but then he realized that the thing Vishous was holding had to be her hand. The minimum area let Butch only saw him sitting in a Turkish way sticking colored band-aids on a girl´s skin with the same determination as he would make a tattoo. He pushed the door… and in the same time the little girl – maybe 10 years old? looked up and jumped from her place hiding behind the brother´s huge shoulders.  
"Hey, hey, it´s ok. I won´t hurt you. I´m Butch, remember me?"  
She was shaking her head, which was a thing hardly recognizable with just her brown curly hair and sea blue eyes visible.

"I´m… eh…" Butch started to talk, but then recognized the mistake he was about to do. Don´t remind the place, where she met you, idiot!  
"He´s a friend." V´s voice put the escalated atmosphere at least a little bit towards the calm state as the girl´s whole head appeared with her hands still resting on his shoulders in a defense grip.  
"A friend?" she confirmed.  
"Yeah." The girl remained, where she was, her clever eyes scanning Butch from head to toe. Then she had to come to a conclusion, it´s safe to sit again.  
"What´s your name?"  
"Sayha," answered the girl moving her small fingers on V´s gloved hand in the meantime. Hell, he couldn´t quite understand how she managed to do that with brother looking so fucking fine with the touching like this. He sat there in a complete peace.  
"Sayha, that´s a beautiful name."  
She grimaced. "Yours not." Well, you haven´t heard the other one, that´s even better!

Cop saw Vishous smile before his face changed into previous neutral mask and he immediately remembered the last time they were together, alone, in Commodore. It seemed to him like a hundred years just passed from that moment. Ok, just don´t think about it now.  
"We are about to leave, do you want to go home?"  
The girl´s face enlightened with cheer. "Really?" She turned her attention towards V, who slowly lifted his head, so their eyes could meet.  
"Can you go with us? I want my papa to meet you."

He gave her a generous smile, which just make him whole look like an angel. Really dark, fucked up, but still an angel.  
"I have a work to do."  
"Saving someone?"  
"Yes."  
"Like me?"  
He nodded playing with her on her childish curiosity.  
"I want to save people too," she raised her hand to his cheek brushing it slightly and for that moment, Butch just saw in that gesture more than it actually showed "I want to become like you."

V didn´t flinch, but it was obvious, what just stormed through his mind. You shouldn´t want this – it screamed from his features – I´m not so good as you think.  
"If you´re old enough you can try."  
Butch first thought was that the momentary situation in glymera predicted the idea a minimal success. He didn´t say it out loud however.  
"And you will teach me."  
"It will be an honor."

The girl looked satisfied with an answer. She jumped from the bed, said her goodbye and for the last time she whispered something to V´s ear. Watching her go with the woman Mannelo treated back then, Butch had to notice how brave the girl was. She was acting like he has just returned from a holiday, not a fucking lesser camp, which left the scratches and black bruises on her pale skin and more on her innocent soul. She could once make for a good fighter if the circumstances weren´t so strict and old fashioned.  
"Who is taking them?" V´s question interrupter Butch´s inner monolog.  
"Phury with Marry and Beth," cop sighted uneasy, "Zsadist, Rhage and Lethre went back on the farm searching for the three remaining girls." Or their bodies. "They are on the phone, returning before sunrise."  
Vishous looked surprised and… mad?  
"Why didn´t they wait for us?" Something in his sharp stare made Butch feel guilty even when he did nothing wrong. "Did you tell something to Wrath?" The words came out sounding demanding. "About me?" Fuck.

Cop knew very well to what conclusion he came to.  
"No, I didn´t say anything, man. What do you think of me? What should I tell anyway? It´s not like I know what is happening with you. I´m perhaps not so important that I deserve to know."  
"That´s not true."  
"Isn´t it?"  
Butch remained standing in front of the hospital bed looking in V´s crazy colored eyes trying not to drown in their deep – that wouldn´t help at all. Suddenly he saw him with a gun pointed at his heart back in the street with fucking closed eyes and painful expression on his face just like he was there once again holding the life of his dear friend in his trembling hands. Shit. The memory brought him a dose of familiar desperation consuming his sanity for breakfast.  
"I don´t want you to worry." Oh. Too late for that.  
"We´re not talking about me here." The bastard you are, you should care more about yourself. "Tell me what´s wrong. I want to help you. I know it´s not just a headache."

V lifted his head looking at the ceiling for few seconds letting it slip down with a breath taking in.  
"I know I scared you back there. I´m sorry."  
Well… this was the one part of what Butch wanted to hear and Vishous seemed to be aware of it, so he continued: "I was thinking that it will pass, when I get my visions back."  
"But they aren´t coming back, are they?" Butch ended the sentence for him.  
"No," he admitted, "the more time it takes, the worse it gets, that´s how it works."  
"Can we do something?"

He seriously didn´t want to see V in any more pain, much more, when he was like this, playing all hero, so Butch couldn´t find out how bad it really was.  
"Not really. I mean… hell, I don´t know," he nervously rubbed his forehead, "it happened only twice. Once when I´ve seen Rhage´s death and once with Wrath."  
The air around Butch had to cooled some degrees down, when the realization crushed into his skull. Yeah, it wasn´t like he didn´t know V could see this kind of stuff, but hearing with his own ears how he speaks about their brother´s deaths? Their friends? Family? It didn´t looked like a god given gift to him at all. More like a hella of punishment.

And he talked resignedly, like those things were normal. They weren´t. He shouldn´t be experiencing any of this.  
"And after you got the vision, the headaches stopped?"  
He nodded looking at Butch letting out a sigh of relief. Good. That´s some starting point.  
"Maybe you are blocked. What about some kind of therapy? Have you tried?"  
"Eh, believe me, that wouldn´t be a good idea." He smiled, but behind that smile was something Butch didn´t want to see.  
"What about painkillers?"  
"They don´t work anymore."

He was still there sitting on the same spot, answering cop´s questions because Butch used a good emotional blackmail, but for how long will it last? He quickly tried his next shot.  
"Your mother? Can´t she help?" at least it made a sense to him, "I mean, she is the one you inherited that shit from."  
"No. Even if she could do something, she doesn´t care so much." And I won´t ask her for anything.  
It was already a time for Butch to sit down.  
"So what are the other options?"  
"I have one, but you won´t like it."  
"I´m listening."

Vishous met his eyes with collected confidence. "I want to buy something from Rehvenge."  
"What?!" Ok, he couldn´t just heard what he thought he heard. "Are you out of your mind? That man is a death trader."  
V´s words interrupted him without any more playing on the polite conversation. "He has what I need."  
"Yeah?" asked Butch ironically rolling his eyes, "what is that miracle then?"  
"It´s opium… And shut up for a while! Let me talk," he hushed him, "it´s not like I´m going to become a drug addict. There are more ingredients in the product. And I know how to use it properly. In small doses it will suppress the pain and maybe produce hallucinations or in my case visions. Name it as you want."

Butch wasn´t saying anything for a while, only blindly staring at him.  
"You´re crazy."  
"What a surprise, cop."  
"No, like really crazy."  
He laughed. His gloved hand moving on Butch´s chin pulling him forward so he stared right to his eyes. Fuck, not fair.

"You are manipulating my judgment," protested the former police officer.  
"I´m making you see my point."  
"Damn, there´s no point in trying any drug. You forgot, I worked with these things. Do you think that those strongly addicted people weren´t just like you or me at the beginning?"  
"I will have a control upon it."

Butch shook his head with a false smile. "No, V, you only think, you have the control. Trust me in this. Look at Phury, he almost killed himself. And he wasn´t in any state like you. The pain is a whore. You would want to feel good and the feeling will overpower you."  
"So what should I do, Butch? You´ve seen me there in the street." His face lines hardened. "It felt like it was going to rip my head to hundred pieces, I couldn´t see anything, I couldn´t move. How can I go out like that? Endanger anyone of you."  
"We´ll find another way."

V smirked, turning his head, in his eyes no less determination than before. Butch ran for his neck, making him face him.  
"I´ll find the way. Give me some time."  
There was no definite answer, only a definite look at the moment when Vishous understood Butch´s fear completely.  
"Hurry up," he murmured into his lips connecting them briefly before Butch could held his breath or supplied his lungs with some oxygen to think straight. His gloved hand grabbin cop´s hair on the side of his head and the other one finding place on his cheek, where Butch´s hand landed too. Feeling the bandage under his touch, he only slightly connected his fingers, absorbing a butterfly feeling in his stomach.

Jesus, what was that man doing to him…  
This was always the best part of arguing so far.

Butch got lost in the moment altogether. Forgetting the reason why he came, the content of the conversation before, even the place, where he was. And that was the biggest mistake of all. Because in the next second the door of the room flew open following by pretty familiar deep breathing, Bruno Banani smell and human heartbeat.  
"Hey, I wanted to ask yo… ou… damn…" Mannelo got frozen in the place watching the two of them broke off from the kiss in an instant with V turning his face on the right leaving his hand fall down from cop´s neck.

Butch looked at the disturber shocked face, clearly realizing that there was no way the doctor didn´t see, what was going on here. Fuck. He had to be red like a potato.  
"I… we…" he babbled, when Mannelo awkwardly joined in.  
"It´s okey. I can come later. Sorry."  
Butch didn´t get a chance to tell anything more, the doctor disappeared like a fog.  
"He should learn how to knock."  
"That´s not funny, V!"  
For fuck´s sake that wasn´t fun at all. He wasn´t prepared to let anyone know. He was still confused with himself enough for a lifetime.  
"I´ll talk to him."  
"What?"  
"I said, I´ll talk to him." Vishous leaned forward to place a one gently kiss on his lips leaving Butch motionless and unresponsive.  
"You better wait for me in the Pit. So we can gain something from getting me hard at least."  
Bastard.


	13. Chapter 13

Butch stepped out from the shower leaving the warm fog spread through the bathroom, fully enjoying the feeling of freshness and lack of lesser´s remains in his body - all thanks to the king´s strict order not to endanger their previous mission by inhaling any bastard on the farm. Not that he didn´t want to, he just couldn´t be sure how things will turn out for them back there and now? He was glad he obeyed, because after the long time he was finally feeling a little bit like a normal person without any pos-shits to deal with.  
Well, the time off was sometimes a good thing.

He grabbed the towel from the railing, drying himself off and then covered his waist, so he could stood in front of the mirror for a few seconds discovering the all familiar features, broken-healed nose and tired eyes. He was still uneasy and angry about the three remaining girls. The brothers considered them probably dead, but they weren´t giving up a hope too soon. Z, Phury and Rhage were out there, looking for them, maybe with some miracle, they will be found. Otherwise Butch couldn´t imagine how they´ll tell their parents and family. Why they were able to save the six of them but not their children?  
Fuck. This was getting on his nerves.

Why the motherfuckers did hold them there anyway? There was no evidence of further harm nor any kind of gaining information. And with such an important hostages, why there were only two guards? If there was any assault, he would think it was a simple trap.  
Butch shook his head leaving the thoughts to be rubbed off by another towel ending on his shoulders afterwards. He heard a door opening with a muffled sound somewhere deep in the Pit, but he didn´t get out to meet the person right away. Instead he took some time for shaving, giving some extra cologne on the neck and cheeks and finally at least putting on his jeans. Like that without any T-shirt on, barefoot, he proceeded towards the small living room leaving light footprints visible on the floor behind him.

"Hey," he greeted his roommate while finding him lightening his handmade cigarette on the couch, moving his head a bit as for the saying hello back to Butch.  
"How did it go?"  
"What?" Butch closed his eyes with irritation.  
"The conversation. Mannelo… seen us making up on each other, you forgot?"  
"No." Just in the moment, when he wanted to jump on the other vampire and seriously injure him, V decided to continue, "he wasn´t in his office."  
"No hell."  
"Do you care so much?"

Vishous gazed him like a deer on the hunt, but behind that stare Butch very easily found the doubt and him being possible… touched by the matter? It wasn´t like Butch was ashamed for what they do – they were two grown up men after all, could do whatever they want. Actually, his opinion was that brothers wouldn´t give a single shit to whom they are fucking with anyway. Either it is woman, man, or a goat. But the idea of them finding out so soon was still something Butch would like to avoid.  
"I want to have clear in my own head before telling anyone."  
Silence. Not so good choice of the words, eh?  
"I mean, I don´t want to…"  
"You have to explain nothing," V interjected exhaling a grey cloud in the air above his face, "I still can´t believe you´re doing this crazy shits with me."

Said in different words it could be formulated as another sentence sounding like: I´m waiting till you´ll come to your senses, so you could leave me and find some woman of worth, which would be so better option than wasting your time on me.  
USED: just few weeks developed vampire-feelings-don´t tell translator.  
"I know, it would be a lot of harder to perhaps return to Marissa or any other woman, if they know."  
Butch shook his head from side to side in disbelief. So it was like this after all, V really thought that Butch just took him as a play?  
"I´m here with you, ain´t I?"

He looked up at him, when cop moved in front of the couch resting his ass on the table and his hands on the other vampire´s legs.  
"Why can´t you just believe that I want to be with you?" their eyes were holding onto each other, connecting a lot of more than only their stares, producing a heat somewhere more south on Butch as he just noticed.  
Well, look at me for god´s sake, you ´re making me horny only with your gazing.  
"Can´t you read my mind?" was the one question cop had never imagined to ask, but still it was the best way how to show him, convince him and the one he actually just gave out with his own mouth.  
"You sure?"  
No. "Yes."  
Few second happened nothing.

"Take my hand, it will get stronger this way."  
Butch did that and seeing V close his eyes, he followed in doing the same.

Suddenly he felt something like drifting away from the room, from the present, or whatever, where he was. A little scary thing, but it passed quickly. He reminded himself what he wanted to think about, because well… this was his first and only chance how to convince the idiot that it was possible for him to be attracted to Butch – that this was no game for him. He wasn´t just experimenting, even when he was still kinda confused.

He liked the bastard, no matter where the realization will lead them, no matter what his straight self was saying on the thing. It just happened.

In the same moment as Butch got a hold of his own mind, he knew, Vishous could see whatever he wanted him to see. So he showed him. Their first kiss, the shock and fear, the realization, the attractiveness afterwards, all doubts that got to hunt him ever since. As he stepped out from that memory, he felt that Vishous tensed. He quickly continued.  
Commodore.  
Butch visualized the moment, when he got completely lost in all the kissing, the pressure, promise of pleasure and violence, touching of brother´s hands, feeling his breathing against cop´s skin, him getting hard, embarrassment, passion, kissing and touching again leading all to massive orgasm, which he recalled like all over again in the past days. More pictures like this – against the bar, in the bed…

This is how I see you – he let to slip the sentence in his mind and shoved him the same scene, in which they were truly in. Sitting on the couch, Vishous had to saw himself in the Butch´s thoughts with a burned out cigarette in his gloved hand and holding Butch with the other one. Cop leaded him towards his face, his black hair sticking on every side, looking like the softest thing on the Earth, moving down on his eyes - closed, hard cheekbones lines looking so goddamn hot with his lips slightly parted. Sitting there with legs spread, leather and black covering the muscles underneath – he was a god.  
Butch tried his best, so he could give everything in that picture.  
That´s how I see you.  
Fucking perfect.

OOO

Vishous blinked, his eyes opening wide enough for them to jump out of his face and go for a quick walk. Hell, what he has just seen? He was sitting right before his best friend, holding his hand, seeing his face full of honesty – stating obvious - that everything he had served him ten second ago was real.  
"You want me?" It sounded more like a statement than a question, or more like a wish.  
"What a fucking genius here…" Butch laughed, lowering his gaze on his groin. "Can´t you see?"  
Ok. This was enough for the evidence.

Vishous didn´t move slowly or gently in the time, he just crashed against his cop like a damn tornado, lifting them both up, lips on lips, chest on chest, Butch´s hands taking off his T-shirt in the process of turning towards a room – his room, as he soon found out by almost falling over some book on the ground. He tossed the man on the bed, settling on the top. His tongue broke into Butch´s mouth with no effort at all as he moved his gloved hand between their bodies and stroke down-up with his fingers just in the right place to hear cop moan.  
"I want to have you…" he breathed out, struggling not to just tear the fucking jeans off of him, "in my mouth…"  
"Shit." Butch grabbed his hair, pulled, when his back stretched on the mattress copying V´s movements down there.  
"Do you allow me to do that?" He squeezed a little at the place where were his testicles, causing Butch gasping for air and even more tightening his grip. Fuck it, if V cared for his hair to be plucked at the end.  
"I want to taste you, Butch."  
Another moan.  
"Do you like what I´m doing?"

They broke apart to meet each other eyes. Butch was breathing through his mouth like he was just in the middle of marathon running for his life. His forehead covered in sweat.  
"Answer, cop."  
"Yes," he groaned.  
Vishous continued to stare at him, but slowly he reached towards the bell to undone it. He was perfectly aware of how he had to look to his partner with that burning hunger inside and eyes full of madness and desire.  
"I won´t hurt you." I won´t do anything you don´t want.  
Butch´s husky voice gave the words: "I know" right into his mouth, when he connected his lips, penetrating inside. The jeans were moving away from the scene by the V´s guidance and then suddenly there was nothing more to cover the big pulsing erection with. Butch´s cock stayed fully exposed to V in all his glory.  
"You´re big… just as I thought."  
"Fuck, V…"

Vishous liked to hear his name. Oh, god, how he liked it!  
"Don´t turn away. Watch me." Like the last time.  
He pushed himself up and little down, finding place between Butch´s legs opening for him. Enjoying the view for a moment. Both his hands rested on the sides of cop´s hips. He then saw Butch´s cock giving a twitch, his whole abdomen tensed in a rock, eyes glassy and lust visible in the dark brown.  
"I´m going to take you in, Butch."

Well, there was definitely no negotiating about that seeing him only staring at his own erection almost touching V´s face. His goatee tickling the soft skin. Vishous bent down using his tongue to lick down the one drop appearing on the tip. Diamond eyes never leaving those in front of him.  
"V, please… I can´t… no more…"  
This wasn´t a sign of a sudden turn of event with Butch collecting his shits and leaving the room –oh no, this was the plea, the plea made by a desperate man, who was on the edge of the wave.  
"Not like this, buddy… not like this."

Before his words could be even absorbed by the gasping vampire beneath him, Vishous took Butch in his mouth making him tilt his head back into the pillow with a force. The help came also from his left hand, he started to stroke him in the sync of his sucking, kissing... Shit, he used his fangs as well. Carefully, not to make too much damage, only to produce more hard breathing, body tensing, gasping for air, slamming into mattress.

Butch let out a scream that could be heard like very well in China by now.  
Unfortunately it didn´t last any near the time V wished to. He wanted to enjoy the moment, for once not giving only pain, but pleasure to one he cared about. Ignoring his own need to experience the same completely. This was no anonymous woman leaving with tears at the end of the night. This was Butch. His best friend. His companion. His Pyrocant.  
All he was ever longing for.

He wanted to give him everything.  
"Come for me, Butch. Come for me, now."  
And he did. All over himself and V´s hand, which were still touching the tip, stroking it with the finger. More groans came. Butch had his eyes closed the whole time he was orgasming, opened them only, when he realized that Vishous was licking the white seed from his length.  
"Jesus… Chris´…"  
"Tasting you as I said." He met with V´s cocky smile spreading across his face.  
"V…" Butch moaned.  
"What cop?"  
"You´re… shinin´…"  
Vishous looked at his hands with a surprise finding it to be a truth.  
"You do that to me."

He let Butch take a rest in the sheets, filling his lungs with fresh air, they didn´t get during the process.  
"This… eh… amazing," he said finally, his body giving the last tired shaking. V didn´t do anything as cop lifted himself to kiss him on the lips a minute later taking in the mouth his own taste.  
"Now," he addressed him planting the hand on the side of V´s neck. "My turn."  
"Wha…"  
Suddenly V´s legs got tangled with Butch´s, his gloved hand, which he was steadying himself with, shoved of and he somehow in the matter of one heartbeat appeared down in the bed with his man kneeling in the exchanged position.  
"My turn," he repeated himself.

Vishous stayed pinned down be the weight of the warrior, who sat on his legs avoiding him to move, his cock touching the bare abdomen.  
"You have to tell me… what to do, eh? You know I´m a rockie here."  
Looking in his eyes, he found there doubt – not connected to what he was about to do, but rather to how he is going to do that. He was convinced about the first part. More than ever.  
"You don´t have to," V objected. The panic that filled him with the thought of Butch seeing all his scars down there or his tattoos almost overwhelmed him for the second. He didn´t feel prepared to tell him now. Not when everything was so fucking wonderful. Not when he needed to throw this amazing memory away to recalling once again a good known humiliation in the camp.

He wouldn´t bear the shits, if Butch would turn away from him disgusted. Not now.  
"I want to, V. You can´t even imagine what you´re giving me every time," cop was holding him by his wrists, his skin shiny in the light, confirming his words to be true. "Please, let me, trahyner."  
The time froze in the second and so did Vishous with it. He sucked the breath in, but didn´t exhale.  
"Yeah, I know what that word mean…" Their eyes followed each other without blinking. "My beloved friend…" He left the words sink in. "Let me get closer to you."  
That wasn´t only request of the physical nature. He was saying him to open up. He wanted all of him.  
"I don´t want to ruin this, Butch. I´m not…"  
"Come on, V, stop acting like I´m a fuckin´ doll," he didn´t let him finish, "I know what you like, or at least I think I know… you don´t have to pretend anything. I won´t run away, I promise." He smiled.  
Fuck, you will run, cop, trust me. And it will kill me.  
"Just tell me what should I do. Give me some hints here."  
He moved with his words on the tongue against V´s muscles, rubbing his newly erection against brother´s hot skin.  
Shit.  
"Turn the lights off."


	14. Chapter 14

"Turn the lights off."  
The sound of brother´s voice cut the air in two pieces with Butch standing in the middle. He even fought with an idea to look down if he was whole for a moment. Instantly he got frozen in the place, which felt a little bit awkward considering him being naked sitting on his best friend after that best friend just gave him the best fucking blow job of his life.

"Why?" he asked barely noticing the change in his own voice too.  
Vishous took a deep breath in, extending the duration of their stares, making himself only more hot in that fucking bed, under the cop, with skin slightly shining.  
"I like it this way."  
It was as simple as that. Or wasn´t it?Butch watched him closely, trying to find anything else behind those words. Another meaning.  
It wasn´t like he didn´t know how V´s sex life looked like for few hundred years. Anonymous women… no touching… hard… quick… without emotion… never to see the same person again. Did he do it in a dark? The way he couldn´t see their faces properly?

Suddenly cop remembered the various forms of masks hanging on the wall in the apartment and he somehow couldn´t just let the idea - that he was treated like any other of these women – slip from his mind.  
You don´t want to see ME? – he wanted to ask. Instead he just switched the lights off without any realization of himself doing so, just like some kind of robot. Don´t think about it. This is not about you. It´s about him. He wants it this way. So do as he says. To hell with your fucking feelings, what are you? A fucking girl?  
Butch got back to bed. To him.  
Found him in the same spot, leaving the lead for his senses, following the dark spicy smell to his neck completely blind. His hands found V´s wrists again, pretty much like he was waiting for Butch to grab it.  
"Damn…" cop felt his breath on his cheek, when he bent down to kiss him on the line of his neck enjoying the feeling of superiority for once. He let his whole weight to press them both deeper in the mattress, earning a groan, when his exposed erection touched the leather underneath… Oh, he almost forgot that he was the only one naked in the room.  
Time to get this right.

Butch leaded his hands, releasing V in the meantime, to his face. He wanted to start from there. Making the way slow and satisfying. However they didn´t land on the spot, he originally wanted to and hearing the sudden "ugh" he could like very well stab V with his finger to the eye.  
"Fuck, cop, you have some really odd methods."  
Vishous was laughing, Butch knew not only because of the really pleasant hard sound but also from his face lines moving under his touch.  
"Sorry, I can´t see a damn thing."  
"Just don´t kill me in the process, ok?"  
Butch frowned. "Your rules, so shut the fuck up and let me concentrate."  
The charge is mine now.  
"… and I am the one called masochist…"  
"Sweet Mary, you can´t be quiet for a minute, can you?"

The both men were looking into each other eyes without realizing it in the darkness embracing them, until the one above connected their foreheads smiling. Few seconds passed and they just ended laughing. Just like that. Freely. Without feeling awkward. They stayed close. Touching. Breathing each other in, their breathes tickling them on the skin.  
"I´ve just ruined it, didn´t I?"  
"No." The lips connected for a one quick moment in the gentle kiss. "Not at all."  
Butch had now a better sketch of what was where – well, maybe not everything, but main parts could work. He also wasn´t any near nervous as he was three minutes ago. So when the big boy tried to sit up? Cop just pushed him back without giving any much strength into it.  
"Where do you think you´re going?"  
He didn´t see his expression, of course. But Butch could imagine.  
"I´m not giving up yet…" He slowly mapped the line from V´s jaw through his muscled shoulders, following the path in the middle of his chest leading to his hips.  
"Try number two, take your seats, ladies and gentlemen and watch Brain O´Neal persuading you he has some hidden skills, you don´t know about."  
"Does he?" asked V sounding like a cat finding its woolen ball.  
"Quiet."  
"Cop, you…"  
"I thought I was clear enough…" Butch leaned into him brushing their erections together, "shut," …a quiet moaning, "the fuck" more moving forward and back, "up."  
You think you´re only bastard here, who can play a badass, eh?

Butch knew his tactic had worked immediately, when he saw Vishous body responding to his movements like a puppet to the master.  
Got you.  
He continued where he stopped before - in the perfect idea to move that damn pants out of the way. He clung on V´s tights, settling himself in the way he had his face turned to the zip he was pulling down. Slowly, enjoying the tense in the body underneath.

Butch tried to imagine V´s mouth open, trying to breathe through it. His fists clenched. Muscles hardening and getting loose in the intervals.  
Maybe it wasn´t the worst idea to do it in the dark – everything was more sensual, stronger, more exciting – if it was even possible…  
With his hands on that right spot, he took his time to start to pull the thing down, however it were actually his senses which told him something wasn´t quite alright. The same senses informing him about the brother enjoying the little play a minute ago – those same senses were now screaming at him, that he should stop.  
Everything happening in few heartbeats.  
"You ok?" as he split the words out, he sucked the air in his lungs and it was like swallowing a fucking razor blade. The room was suddenly filled with only one emotion, Butch had almost never witnessed to had connection with his friend.  
The fear.  
No… no fear. Fright.  
"V, you alright, man?"  
Few second only shallow breathing was coming from the dark, followed by a really hard exhale.  
"…fine… need you…" Fuck, what was it with his voice? "… to talk to me…"  
"Why?"  
Butch could so easily overheard the whispered words. There was so much reasons, why could happen just that…  
Him being completely distracted. Or it could be because of the unexpected BUM-BUM sound somewhere at the Pit´s door. Or it was because of the king, who was standing in front of that door, taping an endless amount of code numbers to the screen, which weren´t accepted on account of the change, Vishous made, when he had came back. It could be any of those reasons…  
But Butch O´Neal heard his best friend very well. And it caused him shiver all over his body.  
"I need… to know… it´s you…"

OOO

One breath in. One breath out.  
Typing…  
Beep.  
THE PASSWORD YOU HAVE ENTERED IS VALID.  
Typing…  
Beep.  
Calm down.  
Typing.  
Beep.  
What the hell!  
Typing.  
Beep.  
Typing…  
Beep.  
"Open that fuckin´ door or I´ll swear to God, I´m going to…"  
Beep.

Wrath was about to smash the damn thing from the face of Earth once and for all. His right hook ready, the hatred in his eyes almost making that thing to grow a pair of hands and commit a suicide instead, as in the very last second the control light changed in the grass green color and the safe door moved a little forward like a freezer opening in the horror movie. Except Wrath wasn´t scared of horror movies. Horror movies were scared of Wrath.  
"What is it?"  
V´s face appeared in the dark, his mood far beyond his usual level.  
"What do you mean, what is it? Where do you have your fucking phone, brother? Is there some deaf spot in the Pit? Because I left like one hundred missing calls on."

Vishous just watched him back with that sharp cocky stare, not moving a single muscle on his face not talking about getting of the way by any chance.  
"You need us?"  
"Yeah, fuck, I do. Zsadist, Lethre and Rhage returned from the farm. And I´ve just let the mourning parents in my office waiting because of you two assholes can´t pick up your damn phones."  
Finally some recognition of the emotion on the other side.  
"Five minutes."  
"Three."

The king cursed when the door were afterwards slammed right into his face and were cursing pretty much all the way to his study. But that couldn´t hear neither Vishous, who started to immediately collected his clothes entering the bathroom to "cool down", neither Butch who was still sitting in the bed in the same position as the other vampire left him, only with a slight change of his jeans now being on his damn ass instead of the floor.  
"Need to take my pills," he said then and cop nodded murmuring "yeah". They went in the mansion in silence – not necessary uncomfortable. With Butch frowning like a storm, not because of what happened few minutes ago in the bed – although it got him pretty confused and worried too, but more because of him forgetting on his promise to find solution to V´s problem with head, it was easy for Vishous to think he had managed to destroy the nice moment between them.  
That´s how it looks, when you have ghosts in your head… can´t even have sex like a normal person…

Butch´s hand knocked on the door of king´s study.  
Everybody was there, three of them dressed in combat clothes and king was standing behind his table with two unknown faces in front of him.  
"Now we are all here."

The man and woman stood up from the chairs. Red eyes pointing on each and every one of the present warriors.  
"We would like to thank you. All of you. You´ve tried the best you could," the man painfully sucked the air in his lungs as he started to speak, "But still, we would like to ask one more service from you."  
He looked at his wife supporting him with a nod. "Please, find them."  
He knows they must be probably dead, thought Butch. V´s eyes met his confirming his speculations.  
"Not only our daughter, but all three girls. Please return them to us. To their parents." He took a gasped breath. "So we have at least something to bury."

The words crashed down on cop´s chest like a rock. He experienced this so many times when he was in NYPD and still it was no less hard. The comfort he had to offer wasn´t enough for such a pain. He couldn´t even make himself to give them any hope, although he didn´t completely excluded the possibility, that maybe the girls were still alive. Not until he saw their bodies with his own eyes.  
"There was a vampire blood, Butch, you were there…" the cold answer met his spoken thoughts soon after the brothers stayed alone in the office. Zsadist wasn´t supposed to be one who would try to give him sense. Even when he didn´t let it be seen, the whole matter took him by his heart. No surprise with his beautiful shellan and Nalla waiting for him every night.  
"Still I think there is a chance."  
"The saved woman told us the lesser took them to kill them," joined Rhage, without any lollipop to chew for this time.  
"Since when do lesser say the truth?" Vishous was sitting on the couch alone eyeing Butch and supporting him from behind as always.  
"We don´t even know why they took them in the first place."  
"Or why they kept them on that farm," added V.  
"Or why they lead those three away."  
A few seconds of silence didn´t last for long…  
"Z and Rhage found mobiles, their ID´s, jars, computer." He looked at the king. "Give me some time till we decide, if we are searching for alive or dead."  
"They may be hurt, but not necessary gone."  
"Let´s keep the patrols like we used to the whole week, we can still gain some information."  
"And then we decide."  
Butch kept going on, ending V´s thoughts like they were his own. The king´s eyes were jumping between them.

"What about to plant some cameras on the farm?" Rhage stated out, "in the case they´ll come back."  
"I´ll do it."  
"V," Zsadist made them conscious about his remaining presence by stepping a little forward, "it was already dangerous going there after we took girls out. We don´t know if it´s not some kind of trap after all."  
"Yeah," agreed Rhage, "it was too easy."  
"Two guards?" smirked darkly Lethre standing next to Hollywood, "I think they could do more than that…"  
"Still," the king spoke out, "it´s a good idea."  
"I´ll go with him." Butch received the all "no-really?" looks coming towards his way.  
"We´ll all go."  
"Good," the king stood from his desk. "But first you all take a day off, go somewhere to chill out or stay at home with your shellans. Rest. This may take a long time, I need you all focused."  
He turned to couch. "V, you can look at those things, we have, Z will show you."  
There was a sound of agreement on the brother´s side. Butch watched him go first, with Z right behind, Phury was next

He stopped for a sec next to cop looking at his face. Except when Butch had the question formulated on his tongue, the man just moved towards the exit with a slightly smile on his lips without giving him a chance to utter it.  
Lethre got out the same way, but his look-over was quicker. Butch doubted he would even notice, if it wasn´t for Phury doing it first.  
What the hell?  
And after that came Rhage. His gorgeous lines ridiculously frowned, he slicked his nose in Butch´s face.  
Ok, that was enough.  
"Have you just sniffed around me, Hollywood?"  
"No," he giggled, "why would I?"  
"Don´t know… maybe want to steal my cologne." The fuck I know… "You like it?"  
The blondie maybe didn´t know that the inappropriate laughter seriously leaded to losing one´s teeth.  
"I like it, cop. It suits you best." He didn´t bother himself with explaining, just disappeared, leaving Butch to go at least with a disturbing thoughts about his shampoo .  
What was it with everyone?  
Even Fritz was acting all weird, after Butch stopped to say hello in the kitchen, stealing a cup cake from the table.

The same minute he entered the abandoned Pit, he was about to drop himself in front of the tv, waiting for his roommate to return. The mobile vibrating in his trousers, caused him to forget it in instant feeling like someone put a restart on.  
He read the text message.  
"You better get into shower."  
From V.  
"Why?" he typed back.  
"Because you smell like me, cop."  
Butch watched the third message appearing on the screen, cursing.  
"Exactly like me."

OOO

He was right.  
Butch felt it now in his own airways. Why didn´t he notice before?  
There was no trace of his shaving water or his soap… He took a deep breath in… - only dark smell of cigarettes, vodka and…  
V.

Holy crap. So the stares meant this!  
Maybe another night he would wait for his fucking friend with a baseball bat at the side of the door for not telling him sooner, but tonight he didn´t vote for it. Why to get angry about the matter at all?  
-Yeah, there is still Butch O´Neal on the mic.-  
What was done, was done. He was surprised by his reaction too, but seriously, was it such a deal? It wasn´t like they made their island in the middle of mansion – they use to meet people and people aren´t blind. Not mentioning the accident with Manello.  
It will get out.  
Sooner or later.  
The only option to avoid it, was to stop it.

Butch laughed in the empty room.  
No way…  
He felt good. So good as never before in his entire life. The tricky words were running through his mind- the words like NEED, ADDICTION, PASSION… love?… Fuck, he was starting to get crazy.  
But still he sat down with a wide smile and he fell asleep like this, dreaming about the only person, who could actually enter it and turn it into something absolutely hot and seducing until that person really came. Managed woke him up in the most gently way - by bringing him food and watched him eating with those sensual eyes telling: I like this sight.

They talked a lot – about shits, yes, but it was unexpectedly normal. Watching the reprise of Red Sock´s game, cursing, laughing, shouting on the Tv, drinking, completing each other sentences – it felt calming, it felt like…  
Home.  
It was nothing less than it used to be before.  
It was more.  
The closeness, side looks from time to time, no tension, only feeling of the absolute rightness about the situation landing in Butch´s stomach without any indication of going anywhere. He remembered then Wrath stepping in their moment with V and he got a little uneasy thinking it through.  
He looked at V, encouraging the player on the screen and decided not to start the theme now.

"Maybe we could hang on somewhere with others tomorrow," he said.  
"Yeah…"  
"You´re not listening to me, V."  
"Hang on, others, yeah… I was listening," he demonstrated, turning his head to face Butch. "You want to invite Lethre."  
"How do y… oh, I had to forget on your voodoo ways, sorry."  
"It´s not like this."  
"How it is then?"  
"I´m a genius."  
Butch rolled his eyes. "Really?"  
V smiled, picking up both their glasses, remaining cop how nice it was to be alone seeing him carelessly do things.  
"I think it´s a good idea."  
"Do you?"  
They both threw the burning liquid in their throats.  
"He´s here with us, in our home, and we don´t know a single thing about him except of that he was sent here by my mother, which has almost the same soothing effect on me as going to beach to catch some sun."  
That was actually a good point.  
"I think everyone is quiet because we are sure that Wrath would never endanger us. But I think we are all thinking the same inside."  
"I heard that Z had already confronted him."  
"You mean more than Rhage did?" V asked ironically.  
"Hollywood is out of game, I think they are all good now." Butch thought about it for a moment. "Maybe that´s a problem."  
"They are getting along, don´t they?"

Rhage was always the one who never had any partner in the field. It´s not like Butch wouldn´t give the life for him, or for any brother… But this was something else. Phury and Z, him and V… Rhage should have paired with Wrath, but that´s no longer possible.  
"What about Z? What have he done?"  
"He asked his business here…"  
"Only like that?"  
Butch nodded.  
"What did he say?"  
"That for sure it is not HIS business."  
Eh, he said that right to Zsadist´s face. The man had balls...  
"So you want to bring him over, what´s your plan then?" Asked V taking his handmade cigarette from the table.  
"You? Using your tricks once for a better reason than to piss me off?"  
V stayed quiet.  
"What?"  
"I can´t read his mind, cop."  
Butch saw the irritation in his face.

"Really? You are telling me that there is some place where even almighty Vishous can´t get?"  
"Want to die, honey?"  
Fuck, Butch would bet on his last money that the warning smile shouldn´t look so hot.  
"Plan B," he corrected himself, "we will have to rely on the old fashioned way how to get information from a man."  
"What should it be?"  
Butch´s eyes lit up with a brilliant idea.  
"Alcohol and women, what else?"


	15. Chapter 15

Two girls stood in front of the mirror. The blonde one with a red dress in her hands, comparing it to what she was already wearing at the moment. The grimace on her face was sending some hints towards the second girl, standing by her side.  
"I don´t like neither of these. Oh, God, what I will wear for a date? I´m already late…"  
The second girl started to reasoning with her how the first dress was just perfect, even when it was obviously not true. After the half an hour watching that comedy go on about the same dumb thing, Bloodletter wanted to scream on that stupid blondie that her friend wanted her to look ugly.  
"She wants that man for herself, you stupid!"

He couldn´t believe, he actually said it out loud. He was alone in his room, trying the flat thing on the wall called TV for the first time on his own with nothing more than few miserable results. The only problem was, it didn´t work any near the way how it did the last time, when there was Rhage with him controlling it. He remembered good action scenes with a lot of cars, stronger and faster than the brotherhood had in the garage. However, for some reason, Bloodletter´s TV wanted to sabotage his trying to keep up with a date in every way possible.  
Hell, he didn´t believe a single word that came from those two girls mouths. They were such bad at what they were doing. Watching the drama go on, because… well, there wasn´t much what he could do, he almost started to laugh, when he ironically realized how much they had in common – he and the people in TV.

They were all actors.  
But with one small difference.  
Bloodletter couldn´t be sure how the things worked in the movie industry, but he was 95% sure about the fact that, if the actors played their roles bad, no one would shoot them. This couldn´t be said about him.  
Right now he felt prepared for the evening and was waiting for Rhage to lead him to a lion´s hole. Sure, it wasn´t his idea to go with brothers anywhere away from their families or the streets, where they kept their mouths shut and didn´t ask the questions, on which didn´t exist answers. He may had a feeling, it was his son´s idea or maybe the big angry guy´s. Bloodletter couldn´t say who trusted him by this time, but he could say who absolutely didn´t and it was Zsadist. The man had already confronted him few times. Once in front of the others, the second time, when they were alone. He counted wrong, if he had ever thought that Bloodletter is afraid of him. Because he wasn't.

There were only a few things in this world or the other one he was afraid of and the cocky motherfuckers didn´t belong in the group. He had already got in the fight with one brother, he could do that again with another. It wasn´t like he was able to just give away all what he was made of.  
Bloodletter wasn´t the same man now as he was when he last time walked the Earth, but there was something about him what could never ever change.  
He was a fighter, a warrior… he was wild and reckless and he had a fucking bad leader´s syndrome.  
Wrath was clear about not hurting anyone and he had to respect the rule… On the other side? Self defense? There wasn´t a word about it.  
Swear to God, he could make it look like a defense if he liked. It worked with Rhage after all.  
"Knock, knock."  
The sudden sound made not by real knocking but a familiar voice of the man, he was thinking about a second ago, made Bloodletter shift on the bed.  
"Come in."  
Rhage´s head appeared from behind the door looking all excited.  
Bloodletter believed that, he didn´t know what was the main purpose of the evening spending outside and how much trouble he gave him when he´d invited him.  
"Oh, no, no… man… what is this shit?" His attention followed the figure running across the room with a disgusted impression on his face.  
"Tell me you´re not watching Hannah Montana… That´s not what should be TV used for…"  
He looked horrified, but under the surface, Bloodletter knew he was just amused.  
"Isn´t anything else runnin´there? Jesus, be glad, I found you, and not some funny ass. In V´s or Butch´s hands this would be a gun."  
Yes… a gun… good example.

Rhage took a remote control under his power and there were a quick switch of the programs.  
"How did you do that?" Bloodletter stood up, taking place by his right side.  
"Look, you press this and you choose… yeah, but you can also use these two buttons." Suddenly he looked up with a grin. "Don´t worry, I won´t tell anyone."  
"I didn´t watch it." Why was he lying?  
Another big grin. "Of course, you weren´t. I would never dare to state that someone like you finds a pleasure in watching teen shows."  
Whatever were teen shows it sounded insulting…  
"You better go till I pick up my weapons…"  
"Was that a threa… hey, okay, don´t be so touchy, just easy with that revolver ok? I´m waiting outside."  
Good choice.  
Bloodletter collected his belongings and his thoughts. Then he stepped out of his room thinking about how wrong he was even in his own mind… they were no his belongings and he had no room. There wasn´t anything his. He was an intruder. And right now he should start to watch his mouth.  
Perhaps he also shouldn´t feel adrenaline in his veins, but he wasn´t about to lie to himself. The sick bastard he was, he looked forward to a danger… as always…

OOO

"So who wants to drink what?" Butch scanned the brother´s faces around the table in the illuminated scenery of Zero Sum´s VIP section. "I´m for vodka tonight."  
He let his eyes slip to a waiting waitress taking notes, but turned instantly back after she gave him a I-hear-you nod with some unasked extra look he wasn´t interested in.  
"I´d like to have a bear, madam," asked Phury politely.  
"Two," came from Zsadist, frowning so much that waitress took a step back, when he eyed her. Butch was surprised enough from the fact, that Z wasn´t yet holding Lethre by his collar and questioning him. Cop got him hardly to agree to this way of handling the matter. But he was here… Well, almost calm.  
"I want martini."  
"Vodka." V´s eyes met his for a second and it was almost impossible to look away in that moment.  
"Lethre?" asked Rhage, on which Butch managed to turn his attention towards the man. This night was his plan after all.  
Don´t say wine. Please, don´t say wine.  
"Rum."

Butch let out a breath he´d held. "That´s all."  
An awkward silence filled the air, after waitress tried to poke out her tits on everyone and then left with no response on the act but with the important order in her hand. Few minutes later small talks were made between pairs. Giving it some time, Butch spoke up, when a chance appeared.  
"I heard the boys are getting through the transition, Blaylock and Qhuinn," he started the theme with two reasons, the first was obvious, the second was because it was really news he wanted to tell.  
"Really?"  
"That´s cool."  
"They would make for good warriors."  
"What about John?"  
Butch smiled. "Perhaps John is about to be next."

He managed to get everyone into conversation – that was the step 1.  
Step 2 never came.  
"What about you? Where did you learn to fight?"  
Butch jumped one meter high when he heard Z spoke out spitting the words on the table. There was no time to give him what-the-fuck look this-is-not-what-we-were-talking-about, just like Z would give any shit, simply because he immediately received the same cold answer.  
"I learnt by my own."  
Straightforward as always.  
"He saved my life, Z," remained Phury. "Stop it."  
"I´m not doing anything."  
Silence.  
The waitress returned.  
Everyone took their drinks.  
More silence.

"Is it hard to catch up on the 21th century?" Butch asked a neutral question hoping it could erase Z´s horrible start from Lethre´s mind. Although he didn´t expect it to work out, more like just needed to break the icy atmosphere, it somehow did. Rhage changed with the man a look and stayed with a wide smile across his face.  
"What is it, Hollywood?"  
Another look, more like saying Shut the fuck up from Lethre´s side.  
"Eh, it´s a secret, sorry."  
"So you have secrets now?" Zsadist was once again on his crazy killing spree.  
"What´s your problem, brother?"  
Z smirked. "What is our problem don´t you think?"  
Butch had the needing to punch some sense into the idiot.  
"Zsadist…"  
"No, Butch," he didn´t let him finish, "I have enough of these games. You´re not cop anymore. So don´t try to be one and let´s just ask what´s on our minds."  
Somewhere deep in Butch the red control light screamed out just in the same time as his irritation hit the maximum. He was about to get up – not thinking about what was he about to do, hothead he was didn´t think straight in such situations – however he was stopped by the hand encircling his wrist.

That hand pulled him back.  
-He knows – appeared in cop´s head, -he knew from the start.-  
Butch was caught by surprise about the fact he wasn´t feeling uncomfortable with V entering his mind at all.  
-Can you read him?-  
-No.-  
He didn´t ask how did he know it then. Butch knew V so well that he learnt to trust his sixth sense, when it appeared. The next thing he learnt – and it was quite recently – was the look of those diamond´s eyes, when they were trying to hide something. Butch took a better look at his best friend.  
-Stop trying.-  
It was no point in making him feel even worse with an effort to look somewhere he couldn´t.

"I´m sorry," he said towards the man sitting in front of him, who didn´t look angry at all. It only confirmed V´s feeling about him.  
"This should mean no offense, we are only curious. Have some questions to ask."  
The first to react was Rhage with touched expression written in his face.  
"Are you serious, Butch? You too? I took him with us so you could inspect him?"  
"Hollywood, you´re forgetting we don´t know anything about him. What do you know?" joined Z more patiently.

Butch knew it wasn´t easy for Rhage to stay quiet. He liked Lethre, because he partnered with him, exercised together, talked together. They were both strong and with fire inside. Challenging each other. But he wasn´t completely blind, otherwise he would continue to wage against them… but he didn´t say anything clearly realizing what Z said, was true.  
"We haven´t find any information about you. Your name is nowhere." V spoke out making Butch remember the day before with them searching in old books they stole from Wrath´s study.  
"You didn´t find anything, because it´s name I had chosen. I decided to forget my real name and you should accept that."

Zsadist opened his mouth and Butch immediately knew that the next thing coming out would be something, which won´t help at all.  
"I tell you, what we should…"  
"Let Butch do this, brother," interjected Phury stating his attitude at the same time. Z threw his hands wide in the gesture of giving up.  
"I see. Tell me how it ended. You don´t need me here." And he left leaving his beer behind, making his way through the crowd of dancing people jumping to the sides in advance before he could get too close for example to step on them and smash their skulls to dust.

"Well, I think we can continue."  
All eyes were now on the man with fair face and dark hair. His presence containing something old and evil – the two things all the brothers felt and the things making them concerned.  
"I won´t ask about your real name then. But I have to ask about your business here. We were told that Scribe Virgin sent you to help us. Do you have any idea why?"  
A definite no was the response.  
Butch looked at V. He nodded.  
"This is a little more personal question." He cleared his throat. "What is the relationship between you and the king?"  
"He doesn´t like me. It is all. We have no deeper relationship."  
Another nod from V and Butch was prepared on the next question.  
"Where were you all this time, before you were sent here? Did you die?"  
"I died, yes. And I wasn´t in this world. I was in the place, where you can go after a death."  
Butch was waiting on V´s approval, but none was coming. There was an intense eye contact between him and Lethre, which Butch didn´t notice till now.  
"Tell him I´m telling the truth."  
Vishous smiled. It was a cold and scary smile.  
"I´m not sure."  
"Ok, this is enough. We´re leaving." Suddenly Rhage was up on his feet. "I think he answered enough for one evening, now we get some fun on our only day off, if you can excuse us."  
Finally the two of them broke the contact and Lethre stood up beside Rhage.  
"Maybe next time."  
"Yeah…"  
Phury, Butch and V stayed where they were, ordering more drinking and wondering if the conversation was either a success or failure. After some time, V got up too.  
"Need to piss," he mumbled  
He went straight for a toilette, passing slutty women customers making explicit postures in his way, made a stop in front of the sink.

He washed his face twice and looked at himself at the mirror, finding impossible to have his eyes open in such strong light for more than three seconds. After few minutes he returned back to small corridor connecting VIP section, the place he was coming from and another passage leading to Reverend´s office.  
He could even recognize the two figures in the dark protecting the entrance.  
Fuck.  
Butch will kill him.


	16. Chapter 16

"How can we help you?"

The two tall shadow figures glared towards the male vampire taking a place no more than 1 meter away from their post in front of their boss's office. It was more likely, they had to see him coming, assuming by the one on the left speaking first before the man got a chance to unveil any of his intentions.  
"I´d like to meet with Rehvenge." His resolute attitude leaving no place for a rejection. "Now."  
The men´s faces stayed cold and unchanged. Deep resonating voice then mixed with the techno version of Nirvana´s "Smells Like Teen Spirit played deeper in the club asking: "Does he expect you?"  
"He doesn´t. But I believe that it perhaps won´t be a problem." There was a promise of troubles pronounced at the end of the sentence if the case was otherwise.

Shadows made no effort to communicate between each other. They both knew who the man in front of them was. One of the VIP´s. The one you don´t say a simple no for no important reason. Their boss was very clear with his effort to entertain those people and make them coming back to the place.  
"Wait here."  
The quick moving in and out, and the man returned with a nod towards his brother.  
"Come in." They moved aside to let the customer enter.

The customer.

Because that was exactly who Vishous was at the moment. He made his way in the far end of the red-black styled office with plan to buy and use. It was a quick decision based on the ironically long termed fact.  
And the fact was that Vishous was more and more starting to feel like he can´t think anymore. Using his brain properly was the one of the few things he could never say goodbye to. It was quite enough he did it long time ago with his sanity.  
"Good evening."  
When he received the greeting he replied with his eyes on the Reverend, although it was hard to concentrate on his face or anything else in the room.  
"I came to see your goods," he said, "but she had to go." He waited unmoving, till the another presence made herself appear from a corner behind him, frowning.  
"I´m not going anywhere. You think I would let him in the same room with you without any protection?"  
Eh, so the bitch wanted to end with a ripped throat…  
"Xhex, please." Reverend smiled relaxed. "Leave us alone. He is not going to hurt me. Isn´t it right?"

Vishous watched the woman in tight leather encircling the spot he stood on like a cat on the hunt. He held back a growl forming inside, when a vision of her and Butch together formed in his mind.  
I won´t hurt him. Why would I? I need him. But you?  
It was definitely not safe for them to be in the same room.

"I will be fine, trust me." Reverend assured her again, leaving her no other choice only to obey or to continue to fight with him with the same result at the end.  
Maybe it wouldn´t be so bad to provoke some fight later on, V thought, seeing her leave with a threat visible in her eyes.  
The woman knew how to kick ass. And she wasn´t a lesser. That meant Vishous wouldn´t break any promise given to his man… except the one he was breaking at the moment.

"What do you need?" Reverend shifted on his chair and let his hands fall on the oiled wooden desk. They were alone. "Something like the last time?"  
"Something stronger," answered Vishous with no emotion in his voice, "I need the thing we were talking about before."  
Reverend stayed quiet for a second and V knew it wasn´t because he couldn´t remember.  
"Last time I also told you it is a high addictive drug." He wasn´t talking as a businessman, that much was clear.  
"I´m aware of it. I know what I´m doing."  
Was he thinking about Phury? That he was also determined he knew what he was doing? Vishous didn´t like his plan either. But then he remembered the night before, when he had left Butch sleeping alone on the couch after they´d stopped searching for the information about Lethre, only because he hadn´t been able to bear the killing pain in his head anymore.  
Fuck.

The knife he left on his nightstand had still his blood on its blade. He´d could pretty much done a hole in his hand, if he hadn´t been to hella scared it won´t get healed in time to get up and go.

Vishous was never afraid of physical pain.  
He kinda liked it.  
Sometimes he needed it.  
But this kind of pain going around now wasn´t anything he knew. It was the plague eating his thoughts, making him weak, always present somewhere on the edge waiting for the worst situation to appear.  
His mind was fighting against something he wasn´t prepared for. He maybe promised Butch to give him some time before he take the things in his own hands, but the truth was, he doubted there was any other option than doing this or once again returning to his old one-sided fights with stinking motherfuckers.

"When do you need it?"  
"As soon as possible."  
God knows, he wouldn´t be here, if he wasn´t a danger to his brothers on the streets. Tomorrow they are on the train again. He needed to have this solved out, before he took Butch´s side again.  
"I have only few doses here," admitted Reverend and Vishous immediately searched for a lie in his eyes, but there was none.  
"It can have side effects, I would be much calmer, if you could test it here in the case anything happen."  
He slowly stood up and set transparent plastic bag with new unused injections on the table.  
"How much?"  
Reverend bowed his head a little in a respectable gesture.  
"Nothing, warrior. Consider it to be a reward for your service to our race."  
Vishous decided there was no need to hide the obvious. Rehvenge was no idiot to fool around.  
"It is not smart to reveal the fact you know who I am."  
"It is only not smart for the person which doesn´t stand on the same side as the Brotherhood."  
V watched him closely.  
"I guess you´re not such a person."  
"That´s about right."  
"Still," he stepped closer to the table, "I will pay you as much as you say."  
"As you wish," Reverend moved away from his chair, "please sit down, I will prepare everything."

In the next minute their positions were changed with Rehvenge pulling the liquid into the injection and V´s good hand waiting on the armchair with skin and veins exposed.  
The time froze as the diamond eyes were connected with every man´s move. Only then V thought about his cop waiting for him outside, but pushed the guilty feeling aside.

"Take a deep breath."  
He had to understand.  
"You will feel a heat at first."  
Or he will not. He will abandon you and find some woman of worth, who would bring him children and make him happy.  
"It can be a little uncomfortable."  
He would be free of all these shits, won´t be taken down with you.  
"Tell me, if anything feels wrong."  
-He won´t ever trust you again.-  
"Are you ready?"

OOO

In past few days the dancing club Zero Sum was always full of people ordering surprisingly cheap but fine alcohol all night long. They used to stand and drink in the crowd of sweat bodies for hours. The only thing with ability to stop them was either a morning, empty purse or unexpected unconsciousness.

However when Rhage stormed towards the bar chairs, the last ones that hadn´t yet been pushed aside, the place miraculously cleared out.  
Even Hermione wouldn´t do better.

Suddenly there was not a single soul willing to risk banging a head with the blonde guy, not talking about the other man accompanying him.  
"We can change a place, if you like." Rhage gestured a sign of two shots in the way of the bartender.  
"No. I like it here."  
The club was discreet and dark, but too much social for Bloodlether´s needs. It was hard for him enough not to turn around and growl each time at anything he didn´t know or anyone he didn´t like sneaking near. It could be only worse elsewhere.  
"I´m sorry."  
Rhage´s disappointed smile made him remember, why they weren´t anymore sitting with the rest of the brotherhood in the less loud section of the place.  
"I didn´t know about their plan."  
"I know," said Bloodletter. "Still thank you for standing with me."  
"It´s not like I´m not curious," admitted the blonde male playing with something in his hand, "I just don´t think you should be questioned this way. You fight with us so you deserve a little different treatment than that."

Let´s just not talk about the things Bloodletter deserved.  
Ignoring the taste of quilt on his tongue, he took an offered drink instead, at the same time thinking about how hard it was to keep his mind steady and focused, when his son was trying to break through. He was lucky, there were asked only two-sided questions, for which existed more than one answer.  
Maybe Virgin had tossed him irrationally in front of the lesser´s gun, but she as well gave him the best protection possible. Without the shield around his brain, he would be probably long time dead before any lesser could approach him again.

"Who are you looking at?"  
Bloodletter turned his attention towards Rhage with a question written on his face.  
"I´m not looking at anyone."  
"No?" he grinned, "because well… she is."  
He pointed with his head somewhere deeper in the room.  
"Red hair. Black dress. Long legs. And don´t ever tell Marry about this description."  
Bloodletter suppressed the urgency to laugh, mostly because he didn´t like the feeling coming within.  
"I don´t think she is looking at me."  
"Don´t be ridiculous. She is pretty much eating you with her eyes."

Only one question could be formed on this statement. Although asking WHY wasn´t actually what came out of Bloodletter´s mouth, when the woman made her way to the both men holding herself high and moving her body with every step in the best way to get every attention she liked.  
"I´m Linda," she said putting a charming smile on her face.  
Seeing her from the closer spot, the one could only wonder why did her neck have a different color than her face.  
"Are you alone here, boys?"  
Rhage´s reaction was immediate - stating a resolute NO, but on the other side he was very happy to introduce the young woman to his friend.

It hadn´t took so much time, before the other man realized, the lady wasn´t a talking type at all. In one moment he handed her a drink, another one she whispered something to his ear and the next thing he knew was that he was lead towards the place, where the restroom was.  
Coming from a different age and circumstances, Bloodletter wasn´t often given anything willingly. If he had wanted something, he´d taken it.  
So it wasn´t any surprise that this woman acting like a prostitute she clearly wasn´t, drove him a little off with dragging him into the tiny space between the closed door and toilet, smashing the door with a force, which made a pissing guy outside jump on his feet.

"I won´t lock up. It would be more exciting this way." She smiled again, but it looked even more forced than before. However there was a lust in her green eyes, which wasn´t lying about anything.  
"Relax. You are about to have a really good night."  
Her perfume hit Bloodletter´s nose as she put her hands around his neck and leaned into him pressing the red lips on his skin.  
"I like it hard," he said.  
The woman… Linda… looked at him.  
"That´s okey with me."  
There was a quick movement and she found herself pinned to the door with a changed position. The groan escaping her throat was enough for passing a test.  
"But I have one condition."  
"Say it."  
She blinked.  
"You have to wear a condom."  
Silence.  
"What?"

OOO

Everyone who knew Xhex just a little bit had to know when she was angry and when exactly it reached the fuck-off limit.  
Tonight there was even the red warning sign over her head.

No surprise it was quiet everywhere. No fights. No one to take care of. She talked with a girls a little. Then she moved. Stopped. Moved again. Stopped.  
Realizing in the process, as she scanned the area for troublemakers, that she wasn´t doing it only with intention to find some victim to beat a rage off provoked by the cocky sonofabitch back in the office. She was also angry because even now she was looking for a one particular face among the others.  
She hadn´t seen the boy here for some days.

"Hey, Xhex, you wouldn´t believe me, what just happened to me."  
"Hi, Linda." She greeted the young woman with a quick glance. A smudged make-up, untidy hair and glistening eyes told her the whole story before she actually revealed anything of her well-known night hunt.  
"So who was the lucky one?"  
"Oh, baby, the best one I´ve ever had."  
"That´s what you said yesterday."  
"But now I´m meaning it."  
Xhex only smiled. She looked back into the crowd just in time to see a man coming her way. The huge shoulders and broken nose. Her gaze went more south. Yep, he remembered him.  
"Butch O´Neal. What does bring you here?"  
She noticed Linda disappearing, leaving her no sadder because Xhex didn´t yet hear the details about her date.  
"I´m looking for a friend."  
"Don´t tell me anything. Mister Perfect got lost?" There was no chance, they didn´t think on the same motherfucker. "Tall, icy stare, black glove, looking like an assassin murdering squirrels in the parks, pissing off people on every step?"  
"That´s him."  
"He is with Rehvenge."  
Butch´s eyes went dark. "What did you say?"  
Here you are, babe. Don´t ever play with a fucking sympath.  
"He´s buying something."


	17. Chapter 17

If there was any day, when Butch O´Neal was more angry, sad or disappointed all at the same time than in this very moment, he couldn´t remember it. The lights were shining to his eyes and blinding him, when he was turning away from Xhex – he wasn´t feeling any bad for using it as an excuse to disappear without uttering any more words with her - still the image of her face didn´t want to slip from his mind so easily… Of the face, which just realized that the arrow of hatred she got loose was aimed in the wrong direction and hit the wrong target as well.  
He knew what this was about.  
Her primal intentions were to cause Vishous problems, but she clearly didn´t count with a side damage materializing in all three of emotions mirroring in Butch´s eyes, after she told him the news.  
She had nothing against him, he could sense that.  
Still it was her fault that now he was leaving her with a knot in his stomach and a really sick feeling forming in his guts.  
He tried to think.  
Fuck.  
Butch didn´t want to just jump on the idiot and scream his lungs out. But since when were things going how he would want? He was so mad… or rather furious, that the whole remains of his self control were only good for not killing the bastard in the first place.  
"Hope you had your fun." Because the hell begins from now on.

Cop glanced towards Reverend´s office. Something was telling him, this was not the right way to go and as he learnt to trust his instincts, mostly, when the things were connected with his stupid roommate, he didn´t insist on the logic to go straight there.  
He took the left side leading to a back exit instead. His heart was pounding in his chest like a fucking church bell the whole time he was walking, shoving the people around… until it was suddenly only two beats he heard. One saying: Here he is. The second: Go and throw a punch.  
"Forgot to tell me something?" Butch didn´t wait till his friend got a glimpse of his hands coming. He just smashed V on the wall, the impact made and heard between the bricks and his back sounding pretty much like there was some bones breaking.  
"You couldn´t wait for me, huh? Couldn´t give the time I asked you for? Always finding the easy way out, right?" Butch kept mumbling without being concerned about people avoiding them in big circles in the fear of getting under his hands. "Did you have to do this behind my back? What do you have me for, if you always do what you fucking want. We suppose to be partners. Or was this your plan from the beginning? Did you plan it from the start?"  
He watched V´s eyes going unfocused, his expression mirroring confusion and only then Butch realized that he wasn´t fighting him at slightest.

He was high.  
And pale.  
Like ghostly pale.  
Probably not even listening to him for god´s sake.  
"Vishous," he shook him by his shoulders to get his attention back in the moment, "look at me. You know, where you are?"  
For three seconds there were only two of them looking at each other, with Butch doing his best not to curse.  
"Cop... move."  
He wasn´t sure if he heard right.  
"What the hell are you saying?"  
"Move," V said this time louder, "or I´m going to throw up on your feet."

OOO

In Caldwell, New York, there weren´t many alleys with open clubs on Saturday night, which would be too quiet for a puking guy to disturb any folks passing by. It was more likely that people were familiar with such scenes and didn´t stop on their way.  
What was only good, otherwise Butch would maybe bite their heads off, if any tried to help his friend on the ground, poorly emptying his stomach.  
He didn´t try to help him by himself. Not at all.  
The only thing he had done was to step aside and let him ran out of ZeroSum, then he had followed him here. Waiting till he got out everything he ever ate. Waiting till the horrible sounds, when there was nothing left, stopped.  
And in the time when Vishous managed to start breathing again and turned to sit down, Butch didn´t want nothing more than to call Rhage and get his ass home. Alone. Walking. By bus. He didn´t care. Anything but looking at the man in front of him.  
"Get up."  
Applause to Butch O´Neal – winner of the title The Most Pathetic Man ever walking the Earth.  
"Don´t make me say it twice." Masking the fury dripping from every word was the last of his problems. He held out his hand, waiting for V to grab it. At least he wanted to have it all behind him as soon as possible.

His gaze fell down on the brother. It happened in the most perfect time for Butch to see how was Vishous reaching for him, but instead of taking his hand, he missed it completely. Like catching an imaginary fly, but failing in the try, his hand went slowly back to the ground.  
"Hey," Butch kneeled down. "You see me?"  
He blinked. Few times. Few more.  
"Half of you."  
Cop took a better look on his pupils. Every human body could have a different reaction on the certain sort of drugs, but sight problems? They weren´t that usual.  
"How many fingers can you see?" He stretched all five in front of V´s eyes.  
"Two?" his voice sounded rough, which would be nothing suppressible considering his throat to have a hard time only a minute back, but what caused the real concerns for cop, was how terribly exhausted his answer was.  
"Is it right?"  
"Almost." Butch closed his eyes for a second, thinking. "You feel dizzy? Can you stand up?"  
"…Don´t know, everything´s spinnin´" His forehead stayed wrinkled the same moment as the gloved hand raised to the right temple, massaging the spot with fingers.  
"Your head still hurts," Butch pointed out. So what was this all good for? "How bad?"  
He didn´t say anything, but didn´t have to. It was quite obvious.  
"I´ll take you to Mannelo."  
"No."  
"V, I´m not a doctor. I can´t know what is going on inside."  
"I´ll manage… somehow," he breathed out, his eyelids falling down and hardly coming up more and more often, "just get me home."  
Butch disapprovingly shook his head. "And then what? We´re going to pass the hours with playing hide and seek? Because it would be no doubt a fun with your sight right now."  
The plural there was supposed to tell him, that the plan wasn´t to "lie down and wait for death" in his room, not till Butch is here. Enough playing on the lone ranger.  
"I´m going to take care of you only to kick your ass later." You hear me? "Home then."  
He reached in his pockets, frowned immediately with a bad prediction.  
"I had to leave my keys inside." He stood up. "I´ll get them, you wait here, understood?"  
The small grin brightened V´s face for a moment, reminding Butch of so many times, when he was badly hurt and did just the same to enlighten the situation.  
"It´s not like I can go anywhere."  
It was far more harder to be mad at him as cop was walking away with a side glance of the brother on the ground - eyes closed, fists clenched and unmoving. He could tell himself all over again, he had a right to just walk away this time… leave Vishous to collect his shits by his own.  
Fuck.  
But how could he ever leave him?

OOO

When Bloodletter got to the sink in the club´s restroom, the woman he just screwed was gone. He stood there alone. Gazing at his reflection in the mirror above and feeling surprisingly satisfied. He gave a one try to remembering the exact expression on Linda´s face, when she put the plastic "thing" – protection; she called it three or more times – into his hand.  
"You´ve never used it till now?" she asked sounding amazed by the fact, "how many children do you have then running around the world?"  
"Two," he answered without any idea why.  
"Ok," she smiled, "let´s call you a lucky one. It could be a lot of worse."  
He soon discovered what was the "protection" used for and he had to say, he didn´t miss anything this time. The 21st century sucked in having sex.  
He didn´t like the idea at all, but it was in some point really important to the woman, so be it.  
He was glad that fucking itself hadn´t changed in the meantime.

Bloodletter once again left his eyes wander to the mirror.

The face looking back at him was stunning. His cheeks slightly pink caused by a heat and a physical work, his eyes glittering and hair messed up from the hands of the woman running into them, when he let of the guard.  
The sudden wave of nostalgia hit him as if to make him remember something he forgot a long time ago. That face in the mirror wasn´t his face. And he wasn´t meaning only the features Virgin had had to change before his returning.  
Since the certain time in his past he had never looked like this. He very well learnt how to transform his attractiveness to make himself look fearless, tough and merciless… ugly. It had served its purpose.  
He needed to terrify people. Needed to gain submission from his soldiers.  
But it wasn´t always like this.  
Why couldn´t he remember?

"Hey, buddy," someone addressed him and Bloodletter gazed on his right to find who it was.  
"A busy night, eh?"  
"Yeah," he murmured, stealing one last glance towards his face. He needed to get on the fresh air. Make himself look… normal.  
Ten steps out, twice as that to the exit, and there he was, in the street with comfortably blowing wind in his hair. He looked around.  
Only few people were out with him, smoking, kissing in the dark spots, some on their leave. His eyes were instantly drawn towards a trio of kids dressed in the much bigger sizes than they should be wearing, forming a circle around someone sitting on the ground on the other side of the alley. The coming troubles were screaming from that place.  
Bloodletter narrowed his eyes again.  
The one of the small motherfuckers had a knife in his hand. He kept cutting the air in front of him like a piece of meat.  
"What about you to just give us everything you have?"  
"Yeah," spoke up the gangster num. 2, laughing he added: "Or it could end for you really badly tonight."  
It was none of Bloodletter´s business.  
None of his fucking business…  
But three on one? On one in no shape to defend himself? Something was pulling him closer, he made a one step forward, but stopped.  
It wasn´t like he could just go there and kill the human civilians, Wrath wouldn´t approve it and Bloodletter was never a good speaker to talk them out from whatever they planned on doing. His philosophy was more straightforward – one hit for a hundred words.

He stayed on the place, thinking.  
Only then the kid in the middle bent over and could as well try to put a knife to a man´s neck, but that part was never clear, because it actually didn´t happen. Suddenly the knife somehow ended at Bloodletter´s feet and the kid was kneeling down in front of the stranger with big eyes, choking from the hold of the hand around his throat.  
One thing was but clearer than others.  
The stranger wasn´t a stranger.  
It was Vishous.  
Really angry, bloodlust in eyes Vishous.

Bloodletter didn´t know how it happened that he was now feeling the familiar coldness of the dagger between his fingers or how he managed to get on the other side in less than two seconds. He was standing behind the choking boy, realizing that both his friends ran the same moment they saw him coming.  
"Pleaaaseee… heeelp…"  
No help from me you sonofabitch. You got on my son with a damn knife.  
Bloodletter didn´t give a fuck if the kid would end up dead or not. Although the more reasonable voice was persuading him the second option was better.  
"I would kill him as well, but it will cause you problems," he felt the need to warn V. Feeling that something wasn´t quite alright as his face was shaped into stone of pure aggression – nothing new, the brothers were like that – but in the same time it didn´t feel like him at all.  
Why was he on that ground anyway?  
And where was Butch?  
Suddenly the hold was loosened and kid fell on his ass crawling away as fast as he could. Vishous on the other side didn´t move a finger. Only sat there, quiet, breathing through his mouth, like he was in some kind of pain.  
"You good?"  
He smiled and there were still some remains of that madness he saw on him earlier in that very smile.  
He called him in no shape to defend himself? Eh, with that maniac look he could scare out even a devil himself.  
"I will be," his voice sounded weak as if after the incident there was no more energy in him for answering questions nor for keeping his eyes open.  
"Should I call someone?"  
That seemed to wake him up. "No, cop is on his way. Don´t tell anyone…" It sounded urgent, like a matter of death and life.  
There weren´t any fights tonight and he was perfectly fine back in the bar. Bloodletter wasn´t thinking for a single second that the trio could have somehow hurt him. Then and idea crossed his mind.  
"Is it because of the conversation we had?" Because Vishous managed to get through some of the Bloodletter´s protection, when he was asked the questions. At least in the way he knew if the answer was a truth or a lie.  
Virgin had set those protections in his head. Who knows what could happen if one tries to break through by a force.  
"How do you know what I can do?"  
He stunned.  
The answer should be quick. Don´t think for too long. Hell… You are already thinking for too long.  
"I…"  
"Hey, I got them," the unexpected interjection of Butch getting on his knees to V´s side saved him from an immediate response. Seeing his son´s expression the next second, it sent Bloodletter a clear message that the talk wasn´t over yet.  
"Lethre? Why are you here?" He realized that Butch was speaking to him.  
"Never mind, come here, you help me." He turned on V, whose eyes were tightly shut. "Good morning, time to wake up, princess, we need to move or you got your ass frozen to the asphalt." Vishous tiredly put his hand around his friend´s neck.  
"Can you tell me, how the fuck blood got on your hand?"  
"You know… troubles… they always… find me…"  
Bloodletter´s lips formed a smile. He knew the feeling well.  
"I can´t let you alone even for a one damn minute." The tone was sharp, but only on outside. "Hey, man, take his other hand."  
Bloodletter was glad it wasn´t the one with a leather glove.  
"Okey, get ready, one, two,…" they picked him up, waited for V to get at least a little steady before continuing.  
"What´s wrong with him?" Bloodletter sat in the back of the escalade, throwing his jacket on the shivering body next to him. The engine growled with Butch behind the steering wheel like a hungry wolf starting its hunt.  
"That´s too much to explain," he looked into the back mirror as soon as they were on the road, his eyes scanning the person lying across the seats.  
"V, you´re with us?" he called out.  
"Hmm…" Vishous shifted a little, his face twisted with a discomfort that moving clearly caused.  
"How is your sight?"  
"Don´ ´now…"  
"Just stay with us, ok?"  
"Uuhhmm…"  
Butch kept talking to him, but soon there was no response coming in return. The car screamed with a new wildness under Butch´s feet.  
"Check on him."  
"He´s trying to say something." Bloodletter watched how Vishous kept falling and slipping out of consciousness for few minutes now.  
"What is it?" From Butch´s voice it was obvious he had his lips pressed in a tin line.  
"He said, he didn´t take anything… What was he suppose to take?"  
There was a dead silence for a quick moment.  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yes. Why?" Bloodletter studied Butch´s features as he put his eyes back on the road. "What is it?"  
"Nothing…"  
He shook his head.  
"I just have no idea what is happening right now."


	18. Chapter 18

-He heard a voice.

It was quiet, coming intermittently in strong and weak waves resembling the talking person standing on the edge of the mountain and screaming his lungs out but in the same time wasting his breath because of the words being fuzzy and incomplete.

-He tried to break through the darkness.

Slowly, the tone seemed more and more familiar. It was strong, urgent, nervous and careful… Careful.  
Careful.  
In some point there had to be an abnormality it that voice. Because it felt warm. It brought a need to find and see the person who it belonged to. Feeling almost like there was something outlandish playing with the words…  
Something like…

-He was sure about some kind of movement, but didn´t know whether it was his own or someone else´s.

Something Irish.  
It was definitely something Irish.  
Getting closer from the distance, where it had firstly started, it wasn´t so unclear anymore. There could be words recognized. One repeating more than others.  
The name.  
His name.

-He heard someone calling for him and the first thought was, he didn´t like that name, even when he was the one carrying it. However he did like the way how the voice pronounced it.

"Butch?"  
Vishous opened his eyes, but shut them in the very same second as the clever nerve receptors found out they weren´t anymore in the comfortable embrace of the night, but somewhere where the lights liked to cut a person´s head in two pieces at the first chance.  
"Where am I?"  
He felt something metallic hard behind his back.  
"Parking lot. We´re home. I sent Lethre to check up the tunnel, if anyone is wandering around." Why? He wanted to ask, but didn´t. He felt like he should know.  
Fuck his brain processing.  
"How are you feeling?"  
V smiled, but regretted it immediately as he felt another attacking wave of pain forming in his skull.  
"Like there is Sabaton performing a gig in my head… new album released…" he murmured, his voice sounding like he had gargled with broken glass every night for at least 100 years.  
God, he felt like there was a fire somewhere in his body. And it was burning him down to dust laughing to his face.  
"You can open your eyes now." He heard his cop talking. Probably meanwhile missed switching the lights of.  
"Better?"  
Vishous let his gaze fall on the figure standing in front of him. It took a while till his vision stopped being all blurred.  
"Sabaton?" he asked with some undefined emotion in his voice. He squatted down getting on V´s eye line.  
"Metal band."  
"I didn´t know you listen to anything else than rap."  
He did. And maybe someday he would tell him about it. But now he was tired. Like really deadly tired even for talking.  
In the same time he was also rapidly blinking his eyes to stay awake.  
"Hey, no, no… you´re not going to pass out again. V? Hey, stay with me, man, stay with me."  
He felt the cold touch on his cheek and his head turned automatically that way searching for more of the refreshing comfort. Another hand landed on his other cheek reaching almost to his neck…  
"Fuck… this feels… good."  
Don´t stop.  
"Your personal freezer only for your service. 24/7."  
"Don´t joke… or I will… take you… by your word." Even in a dim light he could see Butch grinning.  
"You scared me," he started all serious, "and I´m sorry for that misunderstanding back in the bar. I thought you… well, you know…"  
Vishous took some oxygen into his lungs, before answering. Small dose for his brain to run a little longer.  
"I didn´t."  
"I know," sounded confident bringing a breeze of blame out on the cold air.  
He wanted to tell him, it wasn´t his fault, that V was a bastard who couldn´t be trusted in certain cases. Mostly the ones including his own self being.  
This time it was close.  
He almost lost it.  
He almost lost him.  
"I know," he repeated. Even in the mild dark his eyes were shining like two candles.  
"Ok, we´re going." Butch suddenly stood up.  
There was another person in the place.  
"V, first I want you to know, that if it gets any worse, I´m going to search for help with or without your permission," his face stayed uncompromised, "you feel me, brother?"  
He mumbled something similar to expression of agreement. What else he could do? It wasn´t like he had any strength for argument and with cop trying to get him in the Pit in silence, it was enough evidence saying that Butch won´t unveil them if there would be no urgency.  
He needed to stay focused.  
Stay awake.  
Fuck.  
His world got spinning the first second they helped to pick him up.  
"Hey, easy, there…" Butch´s grip on his arm held him steady. "Just don´t pass out again, ok? Shit…You´re kind of heavy, you know…"  
Again?  
Well, it could be. He didn´t remember half the way here or how he got sitting with resting his back on the car.  
"Just walk slowly. We have time."  
He listened.  
Made a step.  
Stumbled.  
The hands caught him.  
Took a breath in.  
Made another step.

He repeated the mantra all over again feeling like it´s helping, when he was preparing his mind what comes next before it actually came. And it went good. They were slowly approaching. Or maybe they did until, because of some unknown reason, V stopped to think in progress and when he realized his mistake, it was already late. He couldn´t remember where he ended…  
Should he make a step?  
Should he take a breath?  
Hell, his head was about to explode.  
He fell of the rhythm.  
And with the next step he fell on his knees.

OOO

"No, my room. We put him over there."  
Butch pointed towards the closed door, which were next second ruthlessly smashed open with his own back as he and Lethre carefully maneuvered his roommate on the cop´s bed. Remembering the exact moment, when he realized that V is starting to drift away once more, it took them only half a minute to get in the Pit. They carried him and they made it fast.  
No surprise it left them with a catching their breath like they´ve just ran a fucking marathon.

Butch looked between the sheets as V´s body stretched in his lower back under the invisible power, the painful expression never disappearing from his face even when he was out.  
Cop went down, sitting on his legs next to the bed and taking V´s hand in his.  
It was cold.  
Damn.  
There in front of his eyes were lying perhaps a 130kg mass of muscles, a strong and hard bastard, dangerous god of destruction, who could easily take three bullets, kill a hundred lessers in the process and without much attention just walk away to fetch himself later.  
Vishous was never a drama queen.  
He didn´t like people worrying about him. He didn´t like Butch worrying about him. So he always managed to grit his teeth and get through everything alone.  
Sick it was, Butch was seeing him once again standing on that fucking ledge with a final decision written in his face. With so much pain and unspoken emotions.  
This was the first time, when cop felt like he is breaking inside, dying and being ripped apart all together. It was the first and the last time, when V told him everything what was eating him for so long. Back there he gave his trust to his best friend completely and for once let Butch to take care of him and it saved his life.  
So now when V shifted restlessly on the bed, bruising cop´s hand with a strong grip and painful groan escaping from his lips, Butch knew this had to be serious and really fucking bad…

"What are we going to do?" Lethre´s voice sounded familiarly distressed.  
A good question to start with. Butch had no idea.  
"There are two options." He ran desperately his hand through brown hair. "First I go find a professional help and deal with V being mad afterwards or I´ll wait and see if it gets any better."  
He would vote for the second and from the indefinite response of the man standing behind him, there would be a two of them.  
"The problem is Wrath," stated Lethre, reminding Butch that he is no fool to be taken by his nose. "He won´t let him fight, if he finds out."  
Yeah.  
The hell he won´t. That´s a sure thing.  
"Wouldn´t that be… good?"  
Butch knew, what the man meant. It maybe wouldn´t be "good", but it would be definitely "safe". However trying to keep V from danger and fighting was like keeping a sun from shining. It was a nice try, but it couldn´t work.  
The sun would heat up so much, it would destroy itself.  
"You don´t know Vishous. It would kill him." It would kill him, if I was out and he locked down here.  
Butch looked again on the warrior lying in front of him. There was a visible tense in his hands and legs. It looked like his body was going to be convulsed into furious spasms very soon.  
Fucking visions.  
Butch didn´t want to see him like this.  
"Can you wait here for a minute with him? I need to take something." In reality with those two sentences he actually decided what to do.  
He waited for a nod before he gently put away V´s hair from his face whispering a quiet "hold on" to his ear despite the fact that he probably didn´t hear him. He will be back. Vishous was taking some meds in his presence and now he only needed to know where he left them. He searched his room first, because he was sure, it had to be there. And he was right. The pills were on the nightstand, left on the eyes because there was only small chance anyone uninvited entering the Pit. Butch grabbed them.  
He wondered for a moment how he´ll get them in V without the need to wake him up. He ran also into the kitchen taking water with him as well. Then he remembered the brothers didn´t know about anything. It would be good to let them know, they were okay. Or the first thing they´ll do will be calling Wrath and the last killing all three of them.

Butch pulled out a phone from his pocket.  
Fifteen missed calls and six text messages poked into his eyes with imaginary sticks.  
For a few seconds he fought with an idea to pack some shits, take V and disappear. Instead of that, he chose to send a one message back. To Rhage. Short. Something sort of: We´re alive, sorry, love you…  
The quick touch on the screen, where the word SEND was.  
Hell, this would be a miracle, if it´ll work out.

Suddenly Butch froze on the place as the heartbreaking scream pierced the air in the room. Adrenaline came flooding his veins along with his heart pounding from a terror of the voice recognition.  
What was happening? They were in the Pit. It was safe. No enemies could get here. There were only Lethre with V in the room… Fuck… If the bastard did anything to Vishous, Butch will rip him apart… Fuck… they didn´t know the guy… Jesus, let him be okay… please… let him be okay.  
He let the things fall to the ground.  
With the door smashed open the second time this day, he stopped prepared for everything looking for a possible threat as another scream got to him just in the same time.

Butch´s vision darkened with rage.


	19. Chapter 19

Butch´s breath ended stuck in his own chest.

It hasn´t been happening so often that he liked his body to work without the oxygen. For all he knew, it was good only for one thing – not thinking. On the other side, seeing the scene before his brown widened eyes, it was just the right thing to happen in this kind of situation.

He started out, automatically like a machine following the program. The man on the bed was his program. Butch walked into the two warriors without really knowing what was happening in the room. He got closer and he saw Lethre´s face focused and in the same moment wrinkled with some unreadable emotion. It stopped his hand in the air, although the two screams still echoing in his ears like bombs.  
In the next seconds the man didn´t move. He didn´t seem to notice Butch at all. His eyes stayed pinned in the distance, his hand holding V´s wrist, not hurting him, only holding with the force, which could be easily broken any time. And then… cop´s gaze swayed down at Vishous and he suddenly understood.

He was having a damn vision!

It was the only reasonable option. Lethre wasn´t hurting Vishous, he had to somehow connect to him. V kept squeezing his eye tightly like he was fighting with something, but Lethre stood unmoving, only as an observer. Whatever was going on inside V´s head, he wasn´t participating. Could that be possible? Channel with V?  
Butch only knew that whatever was going on, the man wasn´t helping. His best friend was in those nightmares always alone and it had its reasons.  
Cop put his hand between them carefully.  
"Let go of him," he didn´t mean it to sound hostile. It was the futile demand, when there was no one able to listen to him.  
"Ok," he murmured not surprised he didn´t receive any reaction. He tried to make Lethre step away from the bed and following this goal, Butch didn´t quite get what would happen, if he touched V´s hand too, until it was too late.

With a slight touch of his fingers and V´s cold skin, he felt an electric impulse going from the head to toe and at the same heartbeat he slumped into the darkness. The white painted ceiling of his room was gone. Instead there was an endless ocean of black above his head as he kept falling down and down, deeper and deeper inside.  
Where am I?  
The thought seemed to steady him.

Butch appeared in the place, which wasn´t much better than the falling. Still so little of the light. He nervously looked around.

The thing he stood on was definitely a ground. He felt the hard stone under his boots. The walls were also made of stone. A cave probably?  
Butch concentrated on the small source of light in the distance and kept walking realizing that the source had to be the opening of the cave. As he was getting closer, the hole with starry night and moon shining inside, was growing bigger and bigger…

He stopped, noticing for the first time the dark figure sitting with his back rested on the rock on the right side, no more than few meters away from him. He expected the boy to look up as cop was sure, he did a lot of noise stepping on the small rocks everywhere around him. It didn´t happen.  
The boy´s only move was the act of turning the next page of the book he was holding. His face lost in the words he was reading.  
Can he see me?  
Butch didn´t come any closer, but he stiffened, when the boy suddenly addressed him. The voice was quiet and repealing itself from the walls.  
"What do you want?" he asked.  
Butch was thinking.  
"I…"  
"I want you to handle me that thing you´re holding," another voice answered making Butch turn on his heels. There was a well built up man in some kind of uniform standing before the entrance. The superior smirk on his face was speaking before he even opened his mouth again.  
"You are playing with fire. Hand it over."  
The boy didn´t flinch under the icy stare.  
"No."

The voice… It was familiar…

"I will have to report you." The soldier was more than happy about that.  
"Than do it," the boy stood up, book by his side, "and leave me alone."  
He was about a head shorter than the other man. Petrant. But probably before the transition.

Butch stayed surprised, when soldier´s face tightened in the worried expression. Was he afraid? Of that boy?  
"Your father will…"  
"Leave!" The boy waited till the soldier understood and turned away with a false sign of smile.  
Butch continued to stare into the shadow. The boy was looking back at him, but it was just a semblance. He couldn´t really see him.  
"Who are you?" cop asked anyway. There was answer formed in his mind before the boy walked out of shadow and showed his face to him.

On that young, innocent, but hardened features were no tattoos. For now.

Butch gasped for air, when he was thrown into another scene. A lot of people standing and forming a circle. Shouts and screams were blowing in the wind like a sandstorm.  
He entered the circle from where remained the small free space and saw two grown up men in the mud, throwing punches, clawing, breaking bones, strangling and cutting so the blood was mixing with the filth under the two bodies. Their weapons were long time thrown away.

Butch knew immediately, who was there fighting like his life depended on it. They couldn´t see him. He was helpless. Regardless he found himself running to the man, to his best friend, to the bastard, who always had his back.  
But what he could do?  
Shove into the other warrior, when he was no more than an invisible intruder here?  
Fuck.

Butch fell on knees. He watched Vishous lying on his back with a numerous cuts on his beautiful face. His eyes were deadly, his mouth opened as he was furiously trying to get some air into his lungs while the other man was pressing on his chest with the whole fucking weigh of the train.  
"You can do this." Butch heard someone encouraging V. "You can do this."  
He realized that he is the one speaking. Whispering those words to the tired face, which couldn´t hear him.  
"Don´t let him win. You are the best fighter I know. Please. Move. Do something. Don´t let him win. You can do this."  
Butch stopped the flow coming of him, when V´s head turned to the side closing his eyes.  
"No, no… You´re not giving up… The hell you´re not giving up!" he was screaming at him, outshouting the crowd.  
"Focus, beat him. Now! Stand up!"  
When the diamond eyes looked at him again, the strong gaze got Butch´s thoughts completely frozen. He was lying on the ground too. Face to face with Vishous. And he was almost sure there was a small smile flashing on V´s lips, when he touched his dirty cheek.

And Butch was once more pushed away by some power into the darkness. The scene was receding from him.  
No. He needed to know how the fight ended. He needed to help V.

The power was chewing him like a piece of gum and then spat him back in the cave. Butch looked around.  
It wasn´t the same cave. There were torches on the walls and people standing around the table. They had also different clothes. Seemed like…doctors?  
Where is he now?  
Butch had to find Vishous. None of these were visions. That much was clear. They were all memories. Past. His past.  
He wanted to call out his name, but found it pointless. Not only because Butch was a ghost, unseen and unheard. There was another reason. And that reason materialized into four soldiers dragging a fighting battered body into the cave. Butch held his breath. Seeing the screaming man almost lost in the arms holding him, stuck Butch in the place for a moment until he found some sense to move on.

Everything was happening fast. Soldiers smashed Vishous on the table with such a sadistic action that the deed itself could break his ribs. Unfortunately he looked like he had already some things broken inside.

He was naked, so the damage was even more visible.  
"What have they done to you?" Butch´s voice was nothing but a whisper between the groans and continuing screaming.  
"Hold him down," ordered one of the doctors. Doctors who was about to disrespect their profession in the worst way possible.  
"What words do you want to be written?"  
Who was that question for?

Butch looked behind his back on the man with short army-cut hairstyle, his face had strong and sharp lines and under the uniform - the same as others had – muscular, tensed body. He looked at the doctor, who spoke before and said something in the old language.  
Jesus… he and V, they resembled to each other as two peas.

"Bloodletter," Butch uttered the name with disgust.  
"Hold him properly!" Someone shouted. And the second voice added: "we need more people, he is strong as a damn lion!"  
Butch´s attention slipped towards the table. He didn´t remember coming so close.

Now he saw V´s form shivering with exhaustion, he hadn´t give in yet. Butch tried for the first time since he got in these horrified memories and despite his common sense, to grab some of the soldiers.  
Didn´t work. Idiot.  
One of the doctors was holding some metal tool with a black ink on the tip. His hand was slowly moving towards V´s temple, where two soldiers focused only on fixing his head on the place.  
No, no, this is not happening.

Butch had known about V´s tattoos for some time and about the fact he got them in the camp unwillingly as well. But he would never ever imagine this, not even in the worst nightmare. It was stupid to try to stop them, he couldn´t.  
These things happened long time ago.

He was persuading his brain to understand. He stood at the table and the only thing, which Butch could offer to his trahyner to easy his pain, were soothing words, he couldn´t hear.

The seconds were passing by transforming into minutes, but feeling like hours and Vishous was tired. He stopped to fight back. A lot of hands were still on his body pinning him down, but at the moment there was a small space on the one side of the table, where Butch took a guard.  
He shouldn´t be watching this. He can´t help him. He can´t help him He can´t help him.

They were working on his hand. In the distance the bastard was dictating more words to be carved into V´s skin. After the work was done, doctors moved towards the last place and Butch´s eyes widened with terror.

Vishous started to move again, but he seemed to have no strange left. He had some of the worst injuries down there, on his waist, legs and stomach. Butch couldn´t imagine how bad it had to hurt. Adding the salt to those wounds, made him stretch on the table in another shock.  
"I´m so sorry." Butch was bending over him, looking at his squeezed eyes. "I´m so sorry," he kept repeating. He closed his eyes too, kissed him on the lips, gently, very gently…  
V´s lips were wet and salty. When Butch forced himself to open his eyes again, he sadly realized he was crying. Butch was crying, because of his inability to do something. He was crying, because he didn´t know about any of these things.  
Vishous was the last person on the world, who deserved this.  
He would do anything to change the past, even if it would mean to take his place. But he didn´t got the chance. So he was just crying, so much he could do, when he felt like something is breaking inside of him in the way he won´t be ever the same person again.

Each time, when V moaned, he kissed him. He kept wiping tears of his face, knowing that they are his own, not Butch´s.  
"Hold on," he whispered to his lips, "it will stop soon." Please, God, make it stop soon. How many times had he already said that?

"Now," the hateful voice made Butch jerk. In meanwhile Bloodletter got on the other side and doctors were at the moment looking at him. "Pliers. Take it." His eyes went up and down V´s body looking like the sonofabitch was evaluating his sick work. "I don´t want him to reproduce his cursed genes."  
The doctors stayed were they were. The real terror mirroring at their faces, just the same as at Butch´s.  
"Sir, are you sure?"  
"I´m sure."  
Butch looked at the doctor terrified to the bones.  
"No, this couldn´t happen."  
The doctor took the ominous tool. Butch tried to take it from him.  
"Drop it, you motherfucker! Drop it!"

It was just the same as before. No one noticed he was screaming at them.

"I apologize," said the doctor quietly, waking V up only so he could see him with pliers in the trembling hands.  
Everything happened fast from that moment.  
Vishous started to fight again finding the rest of his strength for the last resistance. Butch already knew how this is going to end.  
Doctor wasn´t going to refuse the order.  
Bloodletter wasn´t going to change his mind.  
No hero wasn´t about to appear in the god forsaken camp.

And he couldn´t do anything.

The soldiers pushed him aside. And someone behind him took him by his shoulders. How? Why? He was dizzy. His legs didn´t want to hold him up.  
"You don´t have to see this."  
"Huh?"  
"That´s enough."

Butch found himself falling once more to the never ending darkness, but this time, he didn´t have the strength to be afraid.  
The worst things had already happened.


	20. Chapter 20

He came back.  
Yes… he was back. But the wrong uncomfortable feeling was back as well. It remained with him. Got stuck to his skin like a pair of hungry bloodsuckers. That feeling… like being outside of his body was a reality he knew, and the place where he was now, just an awkward dream designed for a quick awaking.  
He waited for it to fade away by any second. Nothing was happening.

Nothing, except of the sudden realization that his whole body was jerked away hitting the wall on the other side of the room. His back ached. It was no friendly demonstration of saying Go to hell. But he knew, it could be worse, if the other man would want it that way.

"You were there," he heard.  
"You were there and got me out."

He didn´t answer. What was he supposed to say?  
"I apologize," he dropped the words out after two counted heartbeats, "He was calling out for you, I…" What was he trying to say?  
The other man wasn´t even looking at him – couldn´t see his puzzled, unsure expression. The bed… Yes, his eyes were pinned to the bed and someone, who seemed to be still fighting under the closed eyes.  
Not all of them got out after all, he remained to himself.

Bloodletter kept staring that way too. On the big moving body between the sheets, on what was left of the human being he´d destroyed a long time ago. And for the first time he felt the real overwhelming sense of the complete disgust of himself. What was he really doing here? How he could fix something like this?  
"Get out," finally the words were spoken accompanied by a smell of aggression, fear and something a lot of deeper than Bloodletter could call by a name. He obeyed. There was nothing else he could do.

He couldn´t help. No. No. He wasn´t able to do anything.

Bloodletter honestly deserved hell and the realization of this simple fact hit him in the one and only moment, when he couldn´t deny it. This game had no meaning. His existence here had no meaning.

"I need to talk to you," he addressed the air behind the closed door of his room. Quickly, before his worse self find out what he is about to do and make him step back from the decision.  
He whispered her name.  
Thinking alongside about the right words, which would lead him straight to the infernal suffering once again.

OOO

Butch managed to wake him up. Not for a long, but at least it was enough to make him swallow the pills. He then fell to a restless sleep once more with concerned cop standing over him. Taking a guard or… whatever. He just didn´t feel like leaving his side ever again.

Lips in one tin line and brown eyes following any sign of pain or discomfort appearing on V´s face. Fortunately, there weren´t any. Cop had escaped the damn nightmare, but till this moment he couldn´t be sure if Vishous succeeded in doing the same.  
Swear to God, he would somehow connect with him again, if the second option was true. No way, he would let him there alone.

For the most of the time however, he didn´t allow himself to think about what he saw. It was hard, but he didn´t need to be distracted right now. He kept pushing images of his mind, paying attention more to what he is about to do, if something like that – the trip in the past, or anything else - happens again. According to those thoughts, there was no way, he could now call Mannelo. He wouldn´t take the risk. Maybe only if something really ba…

"Mmmmm," the weak voice was like a thunder in the silence of the room, "coooop." The words were hardly uttered, but Butch understood his own nickname like it was the only thing which could be ever spoken and heard.  
"I´m here." He sat on the floor, taking V´s hand in his, slowly and gently. He didn´t open his eyes, when he heard Butch speaking nor did he react on the touch.  
"We need to talk…"  
"Mmmm…"  
"Later," added cop with a sign of a smile on his face. "I hate one sided talks…"

Butch´s shoulders let loose. With tension slipping slowly away from him, he exhaled and took some proper oxygen into his lungs in the immediate reaction. He will be ok.  
But what was up with the smell?  
He took another deep breath. Taking the time for analyzing.  
Could swear it was pretty much like… his cologne? Hanging in the air, sweet and fresh and… He hadn´t put any on him today.

Butch froze in the place, when he realized the smell wasn´t coming from the source he would expect. It was…  
Spreading out from every pore of his skin – the new revelation slowly sank in. What the…  
He looked at unresponding V and his eyes widened.  
"Don´t tell me…"  
The small voice in his head started to laugh and curse in the same time.  
-What did you expect? What a slow reaction! Your man is hurt and cannot defend himself. Someone else was touching him, getting in his head, when he was the most vulnerable. Really what did you expect to happen?-  
Still it was hard to believe, even when the evidence was right there in front of him served on the silver plate. What did it mean anyway?

Everyone knew that the relationship between him and Vishous was some kind of special. Even that fucking bond with or without the scent was always there.  
So nothing has changed, right?

-Everything has changed – spoke up the voice again – you marked him, he´s yours.

MINE.  
The word entered his mind like a hurricane. But instead of leaving a desolation behind, it brought strange and calm peace.

He is not having a headache anymore. MINE. That´s good. MINE. He will be alright. MINE.  
Stop, asshole!  
Butch shook his head. Was it even possible for two males to bond? Well, correction. Not two males. Only one stupid vampire bonding with his "more" than best friend.  
He didn´t want to deal with this right now. He was exhausted. Needed a break. Ten minutes, not more.

Butch checked up on V. He was calm in the moment. Not knowing what was happening awhile ago, he would say that the man was only sleeping. Butch hadn´t let go of his hand and now he just put his head next to their tangled arms.  
He wasn´t planning on falling asleep. Only relax a little.

He should have learned once and for all that the plans suck. His plans twice more.

Cop woke up an hour later. Confused and out of place.  
He believed that the only reason for doing so was the broken air-conditioning.  
It was extremely hot in the room, like really bad beach summer hot. His first thought was to take off all leather clothes he was wearing, fast, get some margarita and after that get Vishous out of the…  
Wait. No.  
It wasn´t the room.

Butch put his hand on V´s forehead with alarmed feeling forming in his guts. Fuck.  
"No, no, no… you´re not doing this to me again. It was already enough for one day." He interjected the silence with his mumbling, but shut quiet in instant as his attempts to wake the bastard up failed completely.  
"Jesus Christ…"  
A minute later he found himself in the bathroom, turning the cold water on and letting it filling the bathtub in the strong stream. This didn´t even look like a fever, rather like being on fire and burning. Ice… He needed ice.  
No ice in the damn freezer. He let the panic take a guide, because he learnt better to trust his instincts more than anything else.

Butch returned to his room, shaking once more with V´s shoulders.  
"Come, on, V. Wake up!" He stopped, when he received nothing but a quiet moaning. The sheets were tightly squeezed in his hands.  
Damn it.  
He pulled out his phone.

"Hey, Fritz, it´s me, Butch… no…no… please, listen to me. I need ice… yeah… as much as you can bring… hurry… The doors are open…"  
Butch gently stroke V´s sweaty hair, putting it away from his forehead. The heat coming of his body making him curse.  
"V, baby, wake up."  
Some hardly identified sound escaped his lips. Maybe a NO or GO TO HELL. Nothing, which would stop Butch so easily.  
"I need you to open your eyes for me."  
No response.  
"Vishous!"  
He took off his boots. One by one.  
"You get a shock from the water, if you don´t wake up," he was more likely talking to himself...  
Somewhere behind he heard a door clicking.  
"Fritz, bathroom! Get the ice in the water!" he shouted. "I´m sorry, trahyner, but it has to be this way." He apologized, when he turned V to his side. Once more when he put his hands under him. And then again, when he picked him up as he met with a much louder moan than before.

Sideways he registered Fritz gasping for air as he saw the two of them entering the bathroom. He was saying something, but it was quick and hard to recognize.  
Butch let it be and focused on putting V under the icy water. Thankfuly it didn´t startled him up, as cop had expected, so he kneeled down and maneuvered his roommate´s arms out of the bathtub in the way he won´t get his head under the water and waited. Almost forgetting how to breathe in the process.  
One. Two. Three.  
One. Two. Three.  
He didn´t count to more than three. He didn´t want to really know how much time has passed.  
Until he saw those magical diamond eyes clipping and finally shine from the pale face with confusion, it was hard to remember any other numbers.

"Hey," he greeted him, almost whispering.  
"Hey," came the answer cop longed to hear with a small forced smile.  
"You like to scare the shit out of me, don´t you?"  
Butch couldn´t help himself, he had to smile too, when weak "Yeah… always," returned to his face next moment.

"Master Butch, please," the old doggen´s worried voice echoed through the room, "what is happening? Is master Vishous hurt? Should I call a help?"  
Jesus, Butch forgot that Fritz was still there.  
"No, Fritz, thank you. I will handle it from here."  
"But, sir…"  
Butch studied his tensed posture.  
There was nothing worse for Fitz than seeing some of the brothers hurt. They fight for the whole race and Fritz always feels an obligation to serve and help them in every way possible. Butch could almost sense the fear and sincere concern of him.  
He may not be a warrior, but he would give his life for us – Butch realized with no surprise.

"Everything will be fine." He could only imagine how the doggen saw the scene in front of him. Maybe if it was someone else. But Vishous…  
"Really, Fritz. You helped me a lot. Please. I´ll take care of him."  
For a moment he just stood there, eyes jumping from the tub to Butch and back.  
"Yes." He bowed his head. "Please call me, if there is anything I can do, sir." With a highlighted ANYTHING above the rest.  
"Sure."  
Butch turned his attention back to V, trusting Fritz to leave after that. The old man was a miracle.  
"How are you feeling?"  
Vishous furrowed his brows about the question, leaving Butch wander, if there will be ever a moment, he liked to see this cynic face of his rather than now.  
"I had… better days." It was hard to talk for him with clenched teeth.  
"I know it´s cold. You were running a high fever. I didn´t know what else to do."  
"N´ver mind… You did… good, passed… the nurse… test."  
Butch rolled his eyes. "You didn´t have to do this to me only to test me. You know, you can do tests on the people made of plastic. That´s how the freaking tests usually look like."  
"Would be no… fun."  
Butch shook his head with a smile.  
"Cop, how… long?"  
Fuck, he was shaking. It had to be enough.  
"You´re good. It´s time for a bed, princess. Can you get out on your own?"  
"Yes."  
Butch stood up, helped him to sit from the half lying position. Vanishing water leaving the black T-shirt stuck to his body like a second skin.  
Those clothes will have to go off as soon as possible before he´ll freeze to death.  
"Ready?"  
He nodded. But his arms refused to pick him up. Butch let him try again.  
"Ok, enough," he decided after witnessing another failed attempt. "This isn´t leading to anywhere." Considering his condition the water had to be like a fucking wet cement for him.  
"I got… it."  
"You mean, you´ll have enough time to crawl to the room before you lose your teeth? You won´t be able to bite my head of ever again."  
"I want… my teeth…" Was it a surrender sentence?

Butch didn´t leave the place for thinking or any arguments. Few second later, there was only melting ice left in the bathroom along with wet footsteps leading to V´s room. He didn´t return to his own remembering the sheets soaked with sweat. There was no time to change them now.  
"Don´t worry, I won´t tell anyone about this bridal taxi. It stays between us." Butch laughed, helping V of the T-shirt.  
He was still very slow and clumsy. His movement numb. Quite the only reason, why he let Butch to maneuver him like this.  
Cop pushed him to a lying position.  
"Thank you… very much…"  
"You´re welcome, baby."

There were still the pants on, making Butch stopped not fully decided if he should ask or not. He knew that Vishous wasn´t wearing anything under the leathers.  
"I know…" he said. Even when it wasn´t the complete or meaningful answer, cop knew they thought about the same thing. So V was aware of that he had been there with him…  
"I can´t… do it myself… have to… help me…"  
Ok. This was enough for him for an approval. He worked on the zip and then took the pants off trying his best not stop and look. He did it as quickly as possible, giving V privacy, when he covered him with a blanket.  
The whole thing hadn´t lasted for more than few seconds.  
"You stay? With me?"  
What a stupid question…  
"Of course."  
Butch threw his own T-shirt on the floor. It was also wet. The rest too, but he wasn´t about to get naked and lie in the same bed with V. At least not in this situation.  
"Still I couldn´t just leave your ass here alone."  
V smiled from the bed. Looked as tired as Butch felt.

They fell asleep in the same moment as cop threw another blanket around his waist. It felt good. Strange and good.


	21. Chapter 21

Butch O´Neal has only known three ways of waking up in the morning after he´d reached his thirties. The first one was with a woman. He used to think about it as the best way, unless he´d managed to fuck of the woman´s name from his head the night before and woke up with a really bad sense of problems on the road.  
Dana? Sarah? Jess? No? What about Sally?  
He´s hardly guessed right on the first time and then they always disappeared afterwards, leaving only the smell of perfume on his bed. He was good with this. He preferred it this way.  
That was a long time ago.

The second way of waking up included Marissa. She was the one who stayed and he was the one who wanted her to stay. Every time he bent for a kiss, she smelled like roses. Sweet. And soft. He always wondered why she didn´t break under his touch. So soft… Like a vase. Porcelain Chinese Vase. Priceless.

And then there was a third way of waking up. Drunk. Alone. Destroyed.

Those three waking up scenarios were following in Butch´s life one after another, right in this order. Few weeks ago he wouldn´t imagine any change or returning back to his old ways. When the scenery of waking up changed for once, it was for once and for all. No returning. Just as he couldn't get from Marisa to other women, he couldn´t get from his drunk self back to Marisa. It was past, however painful.

The forth way, unknown before this moment, appeared suddenly kicking itself through the door saying: "Hey, this is it. This is the next move."

Butch opened his eyes.

He found himself resting on his stomach, blanket at his feet, hands under the pillow. He felt the smell in the air. The smell of hand-rolled cigarettes, dark and spicy, comfortable and safe, filling his nostrils and burning his lungs.

And there he was. The source.  
Sitting on the same bed with his back on the wall. Morning messy hair covering his face, strong lines even sharper than usually and icy stare in the distance. A lot of exposed skin.

"How do you feel?" Butch murmured into the pillow, turning his face to the side. V always knew, when he was awake. He didn´t surprise him.  
"Better." He gazed at him with diamond eyes releasing a cloud of smoke above his head. "You?"

Butch watched the other man skeptically just like he would expect V not to tell the truth. But he looked alright. Maybe a little pale. Little numb as he was maneuvering his cigarette to his mouth again.

"I´m good." Tired. Drained of. But glad you´re ok. "How long you´re awake?"  
"Just above an hour," he said.  
Butch´s attention immediately slipped to one of V´s leg spontaneously rising up and bending in the knee following with the side effect of blanket falling away and showing his naked thigh. The fucking blanket. He didn´t even realize he was up on his elbows a second later.  
"Wrath came to say a hello."  
"What?"  
Butch stiffened. As the last remains of the dream´s fog disappeared, he sat up on his legs.

V was looking back at him with a slight smirk on his face. He had to see, what was Butch examining before.  
"Fritz," he guessed, "I didn´t tell him not tell anyone…"  
"He can´t lie to the king anyway, cop. Neither could Rhage. Wrath didn´t mention if he questioned someone else about the night. But he knows that Lethre was involved too."  
Butch tried to analyze in how much trouble they were exactly, but V didn´t seem to be angry or disappointed despite their obvious effort to keep this headache-vision-shit in silence.  
"What did you say to him?"  
His answer was calm without any visible emotion: "I said that I have it under control, which I clearly don´t."  
So much for not lying to your king…  
"And I said I… forced you… to help me and not to tell anybody. Yesterday was the first time you saw me having any problems. Same for Lethre."  
"You´re an idiot," Butch couldn´t help his tone to be a little more furious than he indented to, "he couldn´t believe you a single word. We live together for fuck´s sake! How couldn´t I know? Same for the forcing… He isn´t stupid, V."  
"Probably."

Butch watched him bent over the bed to take something from the nightstand. A glass of water. He took a sip and returned it back.  
"But he can´t call me a liar without an evidence. When you two will shut up, he can´t do anything."  
"Yeah, hero. And you will take all the whipping as always, right? Forget that."  
Their eyes met, Butch held that gaze. He meant it.  
"It´s my problem, cop."  
"I said, forget that."  
His face was still, but the usual stubbornness was missing. Something, what reminded Butch how bad he looked in that damn icy water refusing to wake up. He didn´t feel 100% yet. Otherwise he would have a fucking vodka instead of water in that glass. He would fight with him by now…  
"I don´t get why you should take any responsibility for anything in the first place. We weren´t on the duty yesterday. Nothing bad happened. Wrath can´t know…" He stopped in the middle of the sentence, when he noticed V´s face.  
"I had a headache in his presence once," he cleared out, "he told me to get checked. So he knows it wasn´t only yesterday."  
"Jesus…" Butch ran through his hair desperately, "so what now? Can he do something to you? Because you didn´t listen to him? Can he make you…. I don´t know… offer a Rythe?"  
"He can´t make me. But I will do it willingly, if he´ll decide to tell the brotherhood and they will feel endangered by the situation I put them in without them knowing."  
"Nothing happened!"  
"But it could." He frowned seriously. "It could happen in the fight."  
"We all have our things, V," Butch started again, not clearly aware of the reason why he needed to defend and explain anything, "Rhage has the beast, I have the fucking darkness…"  
He didn´t continue, because he knew that he was talking stupid before he could even remember another example. All those things he mentioned were permanent and they all knew about them and were prepared for them. He understood V´s point.  
"He wanted to meet us later. Others have gone to the streets."  
The blinds. They were up. And behind the window there was a night smiling at Butch´s disoriented face.

How long has he been asleep? His intention was to take a small nap, when there was a moment of piece, not to fucking hibernate…  
"How could I not wake up, when Wrath was here?"  
V´s look gave him the simplest answer. You were exhausted, even the tornado would make you hardly open one eye.  
"At least he didn´t scream at me, when he saw me."  
-What kind of idiot would scream at you in that state-, Butch thought noticing the black circles under his eyes for the first time. He couldn´t quickly decide if it make him look more fragile or dangerous, or both.

"So the vision," he started carefully after a minute of silence, choosing the right words, "did you have any?" He heard a small hope in his own voice as he was asking.  
Vishous heard it too, but he shook his head instead of a positive answer.  
"It was no vision. It was something else." And you know what it was.

"Are you sure you are having those headaches because of the visions then?" Butch needed to ask, not because he was doubting V´s sixth sense, but because of what he´d seen in his head before.  
"I´m sure," he said with no place for dubiousness. He looked up on Butch. Frowning.  
"I was thinking and now I know who´s death it will be."  
Butch had a bad feeling that he knew it too, but didn´t want to admit it.  
"I care about all my brothers and my friends," Vishous uttered the words without any feeling of love or anything else coming out to confirm his statement, but it wasn´t necessary. He was telling the truth.  
"But everything… this pain, shit… " he shook his head again, not looking on Butch, like he lost the track of his own thoughts, "it feels like the vision can´t come, because I´m not ready, because I would not handle it."  
Butch didn´t interrupt him.  
"I think," he took a deep breath in, "that it´s gonna be either your death or mine." The weight of the confession was hanging in the air like a hawk preparing for a hunt. "And I don´t care so much about my life. So it´s probably gonna by yours after all."

Butch was moving closer to the spot, where V was watching the wall, but when he heard the last sentence he stopped in the movement.  
"What did you say?"  
Finally Vishous looked at him again. Seriously.  
"Next time…" he paused, "if it will happen ever again," he rather corrected himself, "you can´t touch me, you get me?"

They were sitting close. So close that Butch could see a worry in those cold beautiful eyes.  
"What do you mean, not to touch you? How the hell am I supposed to get you home then?"  
"That´s the thing... you aren´t." Butch realized he had his hand on V´s arm.  
"You can´t see your own death, cop. You don´t want to. Trust me."  
He almost started to laugh.  
"So I should do like what? Leave you on the street unconscious?" he barked out with ironically smile crossing his lips. "You can´t be serious."  
But he was.  
"That´s not going to happen, V. Come on… We always have each other´s backs, true? If you can see your death I can see mine too." I only need to know you´re good. Safe.

This wasn´t exactly the truth. Butch was scared as hell to see his last seconds in this world, but he was even more scared of what these vision attacks were doing to V. No way he could let him cope on his own.  
"You´re so stubborn." There was a small hint of admiration presented in the words. Watching V´s lips making them up was a dangerous threat to Butch´s attention.  
"No surprise."  
"Cop, stop to play a hero."  
"You first."

Shit. One could never know how V felt about the person. But then he says something like: - Well, I have those crazy killing headaches because my brain cannot process you dying – and it´s just much more than anything else he could say or do. Because you know he cares. You find it weirdly sweet and attractive. Even more because when you look at him, you know, he has no clue how much he is telling you between the lines.

"I wanted to apologize," Butch suddenly remembered, "you know… I didn´t mean to get in your head. It just happened." Maybe not the best idea to bring this up now, but better now than never.  
His face hardened.  
"I know." It seemed like the next words weren´t mean for Butch or for anyone in particular. "I would never wanted you to see that…"  
"Is he alive?"  
Silence.  
"No."  
"Did you kill the bastard?"  
"No. Payne did."  
Payne. His sister.  
Oh God, how he would like to do it himself. Rip the guts from the fucker´s body and feed him with it. What a son of bitch could do such horrible things to his own child? Butch watched V curiously. He could see his personality formed by his godforsaken father.

He realized something.  
"Wait, so when we were last time… ehm… together… The reason, why you suddenly stopped?" He didn´t need to continue. In the moment it all came clear. Butch played the last scene from his memory-trip with gritted teeth in his head. Vishous. On the table. Doctor with pliers. He hadn´t seen the end. Fuck.

He knew he made him feel uncomfortable. This was his room and he couldn´t run away from the situation.  
"I don´t want to talk about it right now, Butch."  
"I won´t pity you, if this is the problem. I just want to know, V." I need to know.  
He turned away. "No." For a quick moment he looked like he wanted to get up. Butch just turned him back with the force receiving a quiet growling with his fangs visibly drawing out from parted lips.  
"Leave me alone." Hell, was it even his voice?  
"No way," he spat the reply back at him. "Don´t I deserve it? How many times will I have to ask for your thrust? I won´t leave you."  
His eyes widened after the last sentence and Butch knew he hit the target. This was dangerous. He felt it. They could very easily break into fight.  
"I´ve never thought it could come to this point…"  
What? What point?  
"We should end it now."  
Butch froze to a statue.  
He didn´t mean it. He fucking didn't mean it.

Vishous stood up, blanket around his waist. He stayed turned with his muscled back to Butch, not moving.  
"You kissed me, remember?" Butch hissed after some time of the deep silence, still sitting. Was it a shock? Well, it wasn´t that serious between them… so why he was feeling so…  
"You kissed me back."  
He started to move towards the door.  
"You have no future with me anyway. More time we spend together, the worse it will be, when you find someone good for you."  
"Worse for who?"  
He didn´t expect him to reply.

Butch jumped out of bed, surprised by the fury he felt.  
"You can´t start something with me and then just walk away. What am I to you? A toy?"  
Damn, either they were fucking or fighting, they always ended pinned to something. A door this time.  
"I know what this is about," Butch was trying not to yell, but it was hard. "You aren´t perfect, V, deal with it. Hey, look at me! I´m not perfect. Do you think that it´s easy for me when you touch me after I inhale those motherfuckers? Every time I feel so dirty that I´m afraid of you getting infected too."  
They stayed quiet for some time, close.  
"That´s a bullshit, cop."  
"Yes it´s a bullshit, but on the both sides."

The seconds were passing by. Faster than usual, because Butch´s heart beat faster. Because he was afraid.  
And then at once he was completely calm.  
There were some times, when he couldn´t decide if Vishous wanted to throw a punch or kiss him, but there were also some times, when he knew.


	22. Chapter 22

"I´m an asshole."  
"Don´t say."  
Butch almost started to laugh. Almost. Just like he almost saw the door got roughly smashed behind V´s disappearing figure. As he almost saw himself staring on those goddamn door for hours, pretending they were made of metal instead of the wood. Unbreakable. Locked. But that didn´t truly happen.  
He stayed on his post maybe because he wanted to stay in the safe distance and V stayed on his, they didn´t come any closer.  
"No. I mean," the other man backed with his diamond eyes as he usual did, when he couldn´t find the right words.  
"Look, I´m an asshole and I will probably be like this whole my fucking life."  
Butch was quiet, dared him to continue.  
"I know, I should be glad for what I have now, shit… I am. I am glad for whatever storming thoughts brought you to me, but it´s not enough … this game, despite what I´ve said before."  
Silence.  
"Cop, I need to know you mean this thing."

Before you let me in? Butch was surprised be his own stable voice as he said: "I do," maybe even more than about the fact he didn´t consider another answer at all. Was it really some game? He looked closely on the man who stood in front of him and at the time saw him for who he really was - a creature being hurt for the most part of his life and didn´t want to be anymore.  
"I do, if you´ll finally stop to doubt my choices."  
V looked stunned. His eyes glaring in the dark of the room.  
"I´m a mess and you know it. It won´t be ever easy with me."  
Butch made a step forward, a quick one.  
"What are you afraid of so badly?"

They looked on each other for few seconds, when V´s answer hit Butch right into the tired mind.  
Did he really say anything? Butch couldn´t remember him telling the words.  
He came closer.  
"I can take it."  
He felt the hard lines moving under his hands as V´s expression changed right in the moment, when he touched him.  
"You get me?"

His response by pressing their lips together was more than any words he could utter in the moment. It was that easy to show everything what was eating him as the only thing he was unable to control was his body when Butch was close.  
And this they had in common.

After few seconds of their arms and lips desperately looking for each other, neither of them was sure who changed the raw kiss full of need and frustration to its softer side or who moved towards the bed first, maybe the both of them at the same time. Butch just knew that this should have stayed more aggressive, because they were both angry. But it didn´t. All the touches and their mouths colliding again and again suddenly became slow and gently. It felt strangely important to be careful with details, not to rush anywhere, because they were fighting and they were almost breaking apart from… whatever they had… for no reason at all.

Both of them stayed lying on the bed, both of them next to each other watching the ceiling above. There were so much things to do, but Butch was tired, exhausted. They weren´t even talking and it didn´t seem any awkward. He was still angry. V was angry, even if he didn´t know the reason himself anymore.  
They stayed like that and later fell asleep again. Or maybe it was only Butch, because when he woke up there was a coffee on the bedside table and plate with food, but no V in the room.

They waited for brothers to return from the shift, they were both missing. They also met with Wrath. Vishous explained the situation shortly with his brief description not matching Butch´s images in his head at all, leaving off the part with Lethre helping and the king didn´t ask. He had to connect pieces by himself before.

"I want to apologize for endangering you back in the streets. I thought I could handle the situation," V was talking to brothers as they all grouped in the Wrath´s study later all with a strange sympathizing and worried expression in the same time, "but this is no excuse." As he took a deep breath, Butch knew what was coming and he didn´t like it at all. He stared at Vishous with the eyes sharp as daggers.  
Don´t.  
"As for this mistake I considered…" he throw something like apologetic look in the way Butch stood, "to offer you…"  
Someone made an "ugh" sound as a disagreement and then Rhage stepped out, not letting V to end the sentence.  
"Probably you´re offering that you´ll make an appointment to a doctor to get better, right brother?"  
"Because no other offerings are acceptable," added Phury and Zsadist nodded. The king too. No one looked on Butch.

Vishous wear his stoic mask as usually, but under it, it was obvious, he was full of respect for his brothers. They loved him, he should realize it more often.  
Together they shared the last meal, talking, making plans. Wrath agreed to let V go back in the field but under the eye. And after that, V disappeared, probably to find Lethre.

When he came back, they opened a new bottle and made drinks in the Pit.  
An hour later Butch wondered given the circumstances, why he ended up in front of the mirror instead of the TV making dirty jokes.  
He could shave later.  
Another Butch in the reflection agreed.  
Maybe he just needed to be away from the couch, where V was rolling his cigarettes. Maybe he needed to smell his aftershave instead of the V´s skin near him. Maybe just now he could control his hands much better than in the living room.

Butch picked the razor blade from the sink. His eyes stayed fixated on it for few seconds before he looked up in the mirror again.  
He put the thing back.  
Another face in the reflection smiled.  
How this could be ever easy?

OOO

Bloodletter woke up from the dream and sat up on his bed. His eyes wandering across the room too quickly for him to pretend he wasn´t looking for something particular. Or rather someone.  
He breathed out and stood up, leaving the bed moving to its original state deformed by his weight before.  
Why did he expect her to come, when she was ignoring him all day long?

He wanted to punch something.  
But then he suddenly remembered his strange dream and he calmed down, backing to the bed again. What was it about?  
He saw himself standing in his son´s nightmare again.  
However it wasn´t the real him. No.  
He stood on the other side, not on the one when Butch was watching the horrible scene in front of him. Bloodletter felt the smile on his lips as some of the men was talking to him turned with his back to a table, he even felt how his mouth moved, when he answered, but didn´t hear the words.

Hell, he didn´t want to watch this all over again, no matter the perspective.

The dream changed and the memory cleared. Bloodletter recalled it wasn´t all. Now he saw himself walking of the toilets with the woman in ZeroSum. Next second he was standing in front of the mirror. He was walking away again. He was pulling down woman´s skirt. He was helping Vishous on his feet. Then he was back on the toilets.  
The woman was looking at him with the unmasked pleasure in her eyes. The series of the scenes stopped and Bloodletter watched her closely back as he started to realize that her face was changing. The color of her eyes and hair and her face suddenly became a lot of gentler, he could even say… beautiful. But it all happened too quickly. The image became hazy. He couldn´t remember the exact way how the woman looked no matter how hard he tried.

It almost felt like there was something blocking the memory. The only thing left in his mind was a strange warm feeling comfortably spreading through his body as he watched his feet on the ground.  
"You were calling."  
Bloodletter looked up, but didn´t move to stand. He felt no need to show any respect, which only leaded to conclusion he was the same motherfucker as he saw in his son´s flashbacks, only even more messed up now.  
"I did call you." His eyes found a clock. "Five hours ago."  
"I was busy." Always straightforward.  
She didn´t appear to him with all the glory and light, so he could look right into her eyes as he said: "I can´t do it."  
She stayed quiet for a second then she made a small step forward.  
"You were not asked to do anything. You were ordered, it´s not your choice to make."  
"Well," now he really stood up, "you told me this wasn´t about me. That it´s about him. But I can´t undone what already happened. I don´t know, how could I ever think I…"  
"You are his father." The word strangely hurt.  
"I can´t call myself this way."  
"He will need you," continued Scribe Virgin with a serious voice.  
"Why me? You are the one who is god here…"  
"Only you could do this."

Bloodletter closed the space between them.  
"How this could ever work?"  
He saw a flash of emotion on her face, but it was fast hidden.  
"You are changing, don´t you see, Lethre?" Hearing his real name lost for the centuries from the person who actually knew who he was twisted his guts.  
"Don´t call me that."  
"You introduced yourself with the name. Why?"  
He didn´t know the answer. Not for this.  
"Why are you feeling a quilt now, but not before? Not even when I took your damned soul from the Suffering? Your acting is changing. Your words are changing every day."  
"Tell me the truth and I will try whatever madness you want from me."  
"I already sent you an answer."  
Bloodletter was confused.  
"The dream?" he asked.  
"Yes. For now it´s all I can do."  
"Tell me at least," he took her arm and felt her stiffen, "what am I changing into?"  
The Mother of the Race was looking at him honestly, but determined.  
"You are changing to who you really are. To a man you once were, but who was forgotten. Don´t ask more I won´t answer." She looked down, her voice hard but eyes merciful. "And put your hand down, warrior, before I´ll burn you to the ground."

The quick knock on the door made Bloodletter obey the order instantly.  
"Go open. It´s him."


	23. Chapter 23

Vishous stood motionlessly with his head slightly turned to the side. It was warm. The bathroom smelled of fresh shampoo and hot water. And of the man, whose eyes stared back at him from the mirror.  
"I…"  
His eyes slipped to the sink, where the hand was still resting near a razor blade with no intention to pick it up.  
"What do you want?" Butch whispered the words with his naked back curving along his shallow breathing. It tempted V to step closer, leaving the minimum space between his chest and the bare skin of the other male.  
The room seemed to get smaller.  
"What do you think?" His fangs lengthened at once, wounding his gums and his breath tickled the stiffened shoulder in front of him.

Butch´s body trembled. He felt it under his hands, when he touched his hips and then more when he made cop lean his head back to expose his neck.  
He managed it in such a hot way, which would burn the iceberg down along with all polar bears standing on it.  
Vishous heard him making a pleasant sound as he pressed his tongue on the specific place, sucked the sensitive skin and cut it on the surface with his fangs in the same time. Slowly. Patiently.  
Hearing the sound it sent an electric shock through his body, making him even harder than he already was. Fuck. Why he was always feeling like he wasn´t in any control even when it looked otherwise?

Suddenly he felt the strong arm shoving him to the wall next to the sink. It happened fast enough for V to easily lose the track of what was happening until his mouth was fully captured by the other man and he was no longer interested in the world around. They were walking around each other for too fucking long.  
With the kiss being the right opposite of what he´s done to Butch a second ago, after few seconds V was completely on fire. He felt Butch´s hands moving on his back and tight, holding him as much close as it was possible and it reminded him of how those hands held him above the water in the bathtub and on the way to the Pit.  
Damn, that man was a life savior in more ways than he could even imagine.

As they parted for catching a breath, Butch´s dark eyes drilled holes into his skull. He looked magnificent.  
"You," he growled, "too much clothes."  
"Eh, where did that shy Irishboy go, cop?" V joked earning a wide crazy smile.  
"Went missing."  
Vishous laughed. Freely. Feeling comfortably good on the place he was."If you say so, officer." He watched Butch to react on the name with a dangerous spark in his hazel eyes.

And then V took his mouth back, kissing him with a brand new sensuality. Licking and tasting all over again. Never satisfying the hunger.  
He slowly realized that his leather glove was moving off and he automatically took his hand away from Butch, breaking the kiss.  
"It won´t hurt me."  
"Sorry. I know."  
He let the cop to pick up his hand to his mouth and kiss the black tattoos gently, connecting their fingers after he let it back down. There was an acceptance in his eyes. The kind of emotion you see in a man, who perfectly knew what he has assigned to and is good with it.  
The emotion, V never dreamt to see.

He leaned back in the kiss, his tongue penetrating Butch´s mouth, playing and teasing. Vishous didn´t knew when he got the idea or when exactly he decided to really do it.  
He moved away from the cop in one second, leaving him surprised and with question written on his face.

Then he fell down on his knees.

Pushing away the sick feeling forming somewhere inside, his hands quickly undid the towel wrapped around Butch´s waist.  
This is Butch.  
It´s him.  
It´s him.  
Fuck.  
He raised his head and met with cop´s eyes – crazy and full of unspoken adoration. For the few seconds his brain stopped to work.

OOO

"He won´t ever forgive me."  
"That´s not true, Wrath."  
The king shook his head on the pillow tightening his grip around the tiny body of his wife. She was his stone – always keeping him together.  
"I lied to him. I lied to everyone. I should protect them, they are my brothers, my responsibility." He felt those hard thoughts making holes into his soul every day, still letting them out meant no redemption for him. It felt almost the same. Or worse.  
"I will lose their trust, when they´ll find out."

Beth gave up on playing with his other hand – like she did so often, when she was nervous - and moved on her elbows.  
"You had no choice, Wrath. The Scribe Virgin made you promise. I am not saying it´s alright, but it´s not like you could reject her order."  
"I should have." He looked at her. "You know what Bloodletter did. That sick bastard almost killed him, his own son, Beth! And where was his mother? Why is she carrying now?" He sighed. "I thought that I could somehow manage to part them while Bloodletter is here, but you see for yourself, it´s not possible. It´s like there is something pulling them together again and again. Look at Rhage!"  
"She said he will help Vishous, didn´t she?"

Wrath absently nodded.  
Beth was right. The bastard always appeared, when Vishous was in trouble. He always participated on helping some way. It was hard for Wrath to admit that sometimes it was very easy to forget who the man really was.  
He wasn´t causing problems. He mostly stayed out of the household ordinary business, not disturbing their life. And he fought good, protected brothers the same way as would Wrath do in the streets.  
The king hadn´t known him before, but now it was hard to imagine the man as the motherfucker they knew from V.

"She didn´t only say, he will help Vishous."  
They could help him as well. Wrath and everyone else in the mansion were his family. But there were some things, they still couldn´t affect.  
"What did she say then?"  
"She said that Bloodletter will save him…"  
He looked at Beth. " Like save his life."

OOO

Butch was in shock – that was the only possible explanation of why he didn´t mind at all standing naked with a towel forgotten on the wet floor by his feet and with his best friend watching him with bright, hungry eyes.

V was deadly still. It seemed like he didn´t even breathe while expecting an approval or refusal – both options present and extremely dangerous.

How could Butch refuse him?  
How could he refuse a man, who never kneeled in front of anyone, not his damned father, not even his goddess mother, but he did in front of him.  
It was his own twisted and the most beautiful way of apologizing he was capable of.

But Butch never wanted him to prove anything.  
"You don´t have to do this," he whispered in the thin air.  
"No," V put his hand on the Butch´s stomach and pressed him more against the wall after they so successfully changed their places, together preventing him from falling down on his ass, "but I want to."

He meant it.

Butch closed his eyes, inhaled through the gritted teeth along with V´s hands slowly slipping to his crotch. When he opened them again, he saw the tension leaving his face and in that very moment he knew that Vishous was here with him. Not in that god-forsaken camp, not in the Commodore with crying Chosen. But here.  
"Oh, God," the loud groan escaped Butch´s throat, when the tattooed hand touched his already hard erection, almost causing him pain with the sudden shock.  
"Fuck, V."  
They were both watching each other hypnotized by the sight. The look on the half-god kneeling and touching Butch with the hand, which could easily burn the person down in less than one second, was just too much for his body to process.  
He moaned more, when the unspecific movement changed into controlled rhythm. V leaned closer, making the fabric of his black T-shirt tightening around his muscled arms.

"Your hands on me, cop."  
"Hmm?"  
"Your hands," Butch felt V´s breath on his cock, close enough for him to forget he was talking to him in the first place, "Cop. You. Touch. Me."  
He understood.

Butch guided his hands into V´s dark hair, squeezing it tightly between his fingers, every time his body responded in reaction. From this point there was no chance for V not to feel what he was doing to Butch - right from the front row.  
Hell, he smelled his own bonding scent – or whatever it was – in the air, but didn´t have a time to worry about it. He saw V getting closer and all the blood froze in his veins, refusing to pump oxygen, where it needed to go.  
"I want to take you in, cop."  
Then do it – said his body.  
"Do it," he said this time aloud, leaning forward, closer, closer…

V laughed quickly. It was hard and hot sound coming from the down of his throat. Then they finally met. Their eyes, their souls and Butch´s length with V´s mouth, teeth, tongue and everything he gave Butch in a minute, in which he thought his head surely had to explode.  
"Jesus… don´t… stop, please…"  
And he really didn´t stop, not until he got cop falling down like a sinking ship next to him with an orgasm stealing the last remaining of his strength.

The two warriors appeared sitting on the floor on the same eye level for some time. V´s hands on Butch´s shoulders, steadying him.  
"I like this… really… more than playing pool with you…"  
"That´s nice, cop. I´m glad." Butch laughed.  
"I know how to pump a man´s ego, don´t I?  
"Perfectly."

Butch pressed his lips to V´s in a quick kiss, getting hard again almost instantly as he remembered where that mouth was just a while ago.  
"Want a drink?"  
Butch thought about an idea for a second, than he got up and brought back a bottle of Lagavulin from the fridge. Legs still like a jello.  
V´s brow went up in surprise.  
"And what about me?"  
"You," started Butch opening the bottle with devilish grin, "are getting something much better, my friend."  
He pushed him towards the floor, making him to lie down on his back and Butch himself took a seat on his lap.  
Fuck, V was right. Since when he didn´t mind walking around with his cock stretched like the Eiffel tower? But he had something on his mind and he needed to have it done. Now.  
"Take your T-shirt off."  
V looked back at him with half crazy – half worried expression.  
"You plan to set me on fire?"  
"Something like that, yeah…"  
"And you expect me not to fight with you about the matter?"  
"Not at all."


	24. Chapter 24

There was something mischievous and something deadly scary hidden behind the dark eyes. Something like total and undoubtedly present trust staring back at Butch, which he wanted to remember. Because in his head he was refusing the option of V looking at anyone else like this.

He followed his lips, making up the simple – "ok" sound, more like whisper. Butch tried to recall the question, but nothing seemed to cooperate, so he gave up. The bottle remained in his hand, but he soon put it down, next to the lying and still body. His half numb fingers grabbed the bottom of V´s T-shirt and watching his face closely, he pulled the useless thing off him.

The fabric ended on the floor and Butch stopped for a moment, in which he understood how much alike they were. Both men shaken but turned up, desperately yearning but with no real knowledge of they should do. Butch never doing such things to another man and V never letting anyone to do such things to him. He realized that they were on the same boat with miserable captain and crue and the big unknown ocean around.

"You good?" he asked, suddenly with doubt stealing his voice.  
V´s huge arms were next to his body, his chest moving only slightly and he didn´t shift at all, looking a little tense, like prepared to run away. Not that he would do it. His expression was enough for the evidence.  
Butch met with a small smile. "You asking me? I´m not the hetero guy here, am I?"  
"Damn," cop grinned, "you always funny ass, right?"  
"You know me."

Just take him. Kiss him. Touch him. Whatever. Don´t let him close again. Don´t wait.

Butch leaned forward, brushing their skin together as he leaded their mouths, heating up with the tongue play. His hands ran all over the perfect hard body, feeling every curve in the process of his fingers wandering. Slowly. Playfully.  
Well, he didn´t need a manual for this. It seemed he actually knew what to do, or maybe just his instincts took turn instead of his inexperienced self.  
What really mattered was the greedy and passionate look he received, when he broke the kiss and soft disagreeing moan on the growing distance between the two males.

Oh, hell, he liked that sound.  
Butch´s hand blindly found an open whiskey bottle. He smiled before he took a sip and noticing V´s body arching under his ass, he gave him a quick kiss leaving the alcohol taste on his lips. He watched him licking his mouth with the tongue, the fangs not in the full awake state, but more likely on the right way.  
"It´s going to be cold."  
Vishous didn´t get the time to be confused or ask what the hell was Butch planning on doing. He couldn´t even possible see the neck´s bottle coming and liquid pouring down on his stomach, later overflowing down his hips, until the moment, when it actually happened and startled him up wide-eyed.  
"Wha…"  
Any of his protests were shut with Butch´s mouth on top of his own. The cop continued to search for his hands, only to slowly drag them to his head on the floor - not too tightly. He cared about V being able to get free, if he wanted so. Some more pleasant sounds filled the room in the next long seconds, when he moved on the side of the male´s neck.

Jesus, Butch didn´t expect the skin being so sensitive and soft above the hard, strong muscles. He was enjoying this so much… Every moan – whether his or V´s, every move, every breath quickly taken and held, V´s closed eyes as he came to his collarbone and then to his chest, with both their hands squeezing into each other on the floor.  
He let the top of his nose following his mouth tracking the way down, tasting the whiskey from the corners of V´s body and continuing more and more south.

Butch was forced to let go of the other man´s hands, when he could no longer move and put them on his hips instead. His brown eyes looked for V´s face, when he felt the sudden startled move against him.  
He asked about permission, both with his eyes and words, remembering the sight he is about to see from that horrible nightmare. No, not nightmare… memory. The time seemed to stop in the moment.  
"Just think about it a little, cop. You may not want to see it."

Hell, he didn´t. But he had to. He had to bite through his anger and make the person lying in front of him happy. He wanted to and he needed to wipe down that expression of self-hatred and fear of refusal from that beautiful face.  
"I want you… so bad…" Butch didn´t mean to say this, but when it was out, he felt like it was the truest thing he could utter.

He admired V for looking like he was any second ready to just get up and go, if Butch decided to pull back, even when it would tear his heart apart.  
"Close your eyes, like before."  
After few seconds of the two men watching each other desperately, V really did how he was told. His lips stayed parted in heavy breathing and in that moment Butch hardly doubted he´s ever seen anything so wonderful.

He gently touched the place, where V´s bare skin was ending with visible tattoo under the leather, earning a small yank.  
"Sorry."  
"It´s ok." Butch started to slowly pull down the leather, following for any sign of V drifting of somewhere else. He knew pretty well how daemons liked to fuck with someone´s head in the worst way and time.  
"You with me, V?"

OOO

Vishous heard the question, but in the moment found himself trapped. He knew where he was and he knew what was happening. Hell, he liked it… But still couldn´t help himself from slightly trembling.  
"´m good."  
His eyes stayed closed, no matter if it was a good or bad idea. Too much things ran through his mind, too much pictures, he didn´t want to see right now. He couldn´t decide, if it was better to see Butch´s expression or to imagine it.  
"I´m going to pull it down, V."

Vishous stopped in his destructive thoughts. The voice – Butch´s voice – it was so sensual and erotic, nothing like disgust or nuisance V expected. He calmed down. Let him continue. For V it was horrible to just lay there and have no control upon the things. He wasn´t used to the kind of caring. But maybe just because of this reason, he liked his choice for the person.  
His heart beat crazy.  
He felt more and more of his skin exposed without realizing he held his breath for the whole time. Finally there were no clothes to protect any of his visible scars or injury. Nothing to hide behind. And the seconds in silence were passing really slowly and painfully.

All the discomfort was back.  
He didn´t feel or heard anything and he was a damn pussy to open his eyes and check if there was Butch still in the room. Perfect, just perfect…  
But suddenly his whole body tensed from the unexpected touch, when he didn´t hope for any. His eyes flicked open.

Fuck, he didn´t expect the view at all.  
V sucked the air through the gritted teeth in the same time as his brain processed, where exactly Butch was and what he was doing to him. With his mouth, with tips of his fingers…  
No matter how bullshit it was, it seemed kinda sick to have him near those damn tattoos or let him touch them so carefully, but well… fuck it…

Vishous let his head fall back with clenched fists next to his body. The quiet moan escaped his lips and he thought he heard Butch quickly laugh against his body, and then became all serious again, giving his all attention back to make V lose his mind completely.  
It was true that he felt immediately, when cop got on the spot of the big scar running across his lower abdomen. It made him flinch again and then he mentally slapped himself in his head.

"I would so much want to meet him," Butch whispered between the kisses, his hands now locked into V´s hips, "just to kill him over… and over… and over…" He kept following the line of the scar surprisingly with no anger in his voice. In this moment it was only simple statement. Scary, deadly statement. And in the same time, it sent some serious deep reaction through V´s back. Few second later his hands were no longer on the floor, but in Butch´s hair going in and out just as his throbbing cock moved in cop´s hand.

Butch never prepared him for that and it was good this way. Fuck… It had the pretty much same effect as blowing his brain out with the bullet.  
"Watch me."  
V tilted his head to the side, ending only in the much worse state, after he saw the overwhelming lust on the cop´s face. Just a moment later his whole body was shaking violently to the point he was afraid of getting himself a serious concussion.  
"Fuck, cop…"  
Somewhere between wild blinking Vishous met a big grin on the other man´s face, clearly saying that whatever Butch had on his mind, it was working and he was damn happy about it. It was almost miracle that V didn´t com the same moment as Butch´s hand touched his erection, but he was almost sure he seriously couldn´t take anymore.

His back arched and eyes went shut, he moaned, when the movement slowed down, leaving him on the very edge with no merciful push forward.  
"No… don´ stop…"  
Butch´s features very well showed the determination and amusement over himself having so much control of what was happening and how slowly it was happening.  
"Can´ torture me… like that," V breathed out in once.  
"Hell yes I can…" The smile was devilish. It seemed the both of them enjoyed it too much.

V was on fire and the lifesaving bucket of water stood in front of him, but beyond his reach. The world couldn´t play the worse irony.  
"It hurts."  
"What hurts?"  
"My cock."  
Butch tried to hold everything together, but his eyes were betraying him.  
"Should I help you?"  
Vishous growled for a response. It was quite enough.

In the next moment Butch leaned forward, taking V in his hand, making his back arch like a fucking bow. He didn´t even have time to get closer, before V realized what he was about to do – face only merely inches away – and he lost it completely. No more holding.  
Every cell in his body exploded in the pleasure. Fuck, he was even glowing. And while trying to catch his breath, Butch watched him hypnotized by the light – naked and gorgeous – it almost cost V the second round.

He let the cop crawl towards him, so they could face each other and meanwhile he tried to read his expression through the haziness of his own sight. First he thought that Butch went for a kiss. He would never expect to see a glimpse of the animal hunger in his eyes one second before…  
Fuck.  
Butch bit him.  
Hard and tough, tearing the flash of V´s neck in the way it caused the pain both with pleasure striking in his brain. He felt Butch´s urge to get closer to the lifegiving liquid running through his veins, embracing him with his hands tightly as doing so.  
V screamed out from the shock, but calmed down immediately as the initial alarming moment passed.  
"Cop," he mumbled towards Butch´s cheek, getting no response at all in return.  
"Fuck," he cursed this time aloud, but not from the discomfort. Once again he felt like being set on fire. He was gladly up to exchange his blood for such pleasure the other man was giving to him.  
Hell, it should felt more scary, but it wasn´t. It was good. He didn´t have any idea how many times he came from this moment or how many times did Butch on the top of him. Their bodies were tangled together, feeling everything and taking everything. Mind-blowing.

V´s limbs were becoming all numb and as the time was passing by, the thought of stopping the madness was coming from the distance like a necessity not a real choice. He started to feel weak and disoriented in a very short time. Shorter as he would like.  
"Butch, ughm,…" V tried to clear his throat, but failed, "Butch… you have to…" Instantly he almost forgot, what he wanted to say.  
"Stop," he remembered. No reaction. "Cop."

He pushed his hands up against the heavy body and this was the exact moment, when the other man tensed and quickly recovered from the hypnotization. He stared at Vishous with wide terrified eyes.  
"Sorry… Jesus, I´m so sorry, oh fuck… I didn´t want…"  
V interrupted him with a half-wave of his hand on the floor, which ended in the really pathetic try. "It´s ok."  
"No, damn… It isn´t. I´m such a jerk." His eyes fell to V´s neck, he seemed to become even paler. "Fuck, just let me heal the wound, please."

Vishous found out that turning his head to the side hurt. When the penetrated skin got closed, Butch fell down to his knees beside him waiting till he slowly sat up, firstly getting up his hand to help him but then freezing in the middle of the gesture and putting it back – assured that the man could do good by himself.  
"I don´t understand why I did that, God… sorry," he kept apologizing quietly and guilty faced.  
But the only thing V could really see was how amazing he looked with blush on his cheeks and messy hair. V´s blood was still on his lips and however sick this was, it made him feel warm inside – the feeling that Butch had something from him and it was keeping him alive.

"It´s fine, cop, really." His exhausted voice surprised him.

He immediately received one of No-Hell looks.  
"Yeah… you should see yourself now. Damn. You should have stopped him," Butch continued in really panicked voice, "I can´t believe I did that even when I knew… No… I´m such an asshole…"  
"Cop," V got into his speech along with getting his face in front of Butch´s hazel eyes, "you can´t say to someone you´ve just got cum like a hundred of times that the person looks bad. It´s kinda stupid towards me, true?"  
It worked. He managed to bring a small smile to his face.  
"I liked it," he said meaning every word, "you didn´t do anything I didn´t want, so everything is fine, you hear me?"  
"But I should have asked…"  
V pressed their lips together to shut him up. It was just a gentle kiss with wiping away the tracks of blood from other man´s lips.  
Butch stayed gazing at him amazed. "Wow."  
It was clear he wasn´t only referring to the last kiss and V felt the exactly same way. He could bet that cop didn´t know what kind of experience he just gave him. Willingly. Without any pressure.  
Vishous smiled.  
"Still, if you insist on your guilt, perhaps you should take me to the shower and help me there. I´m feeling a little dizzy, you know."  
Butch´s grin was huge.  
"Yeah, sure."


	25. Chapter 25

Manny Mannelo was buried in his work again, but for once he didn´t think it was the worst thing to happen. No, he didn´t like the idea of acting like a coward, running away and hiding from his own wife. Of course there were some situations, when it wasn´t actually the matter of choice, rather more of the necessity.  
He sighed tiredly when he remembered how hard it was for the past days not to fight about the smallest things all the time in the stupid attempt not to fight about the important ones.

They made a habit of Payne always standing on one side demanding she was fit to fight and Mannelo on the other saying "wait, not yet". Or Payne having another of her attacks, falling down on the spirit and Mannelo supporting her against her will. One way or another. There were always him and her on the other side of the ditch.

Maybe her idea to stay in the Safe House for some time and help there wasn´t bad at all. But God, he missed her. He missed her so much.

"Hey, doc, you´re here?"  
"Yep, Butch, what is it?"  
He didn´t raise his head from the paperwork, when he heard the man approach. He quite expected him to spill anything what was on his mind just like Butch used to do. But nothing was coming for a few seconds so Mannelo looked up fighting the annoyed expression taking over his face. However that one quickly disappeared, as he noticed Vishous standing by cop´s side.  
Vengeance stare on Butch. Ouch, this won´t be pretty.

"How can I help you?" he asked politely, his eyes scanning both men.  
"Well," Butch was the one who started, but according to his careful choice of words not the one who was this about, "we´re here for the advice, I think."  
Mannelo nodded. "So what´s the problem?"

Butch gazed on Vishous as to asking for help, his eyes so nervous that Manny almost took a pity on him and asked V himself, but then the other vampire sighed half angry half resigned and it was clear he is about to take it from there.  
"I have a problem with my head, doc."

He grinned. "Tell me something I don´t know." Hey, well, this wasn´t the smartest thing to say. No. No.  
"Wait, V, sorry. Don´t go. I just…" Mannelo was now standing and trying his best to at least save his face as a doctor, "I´m not in the mood today, ok? Sorry. You said it´s your head? What? Headaches? Visions?"

Fortunately, he didn´t screw so bad. He didn´t like the male, but that doesn´t mean he had to chase him away. V absently nodded not really meeting his eyes – not the Butch´s case. Mannelo shifted away the feeling of being burnt to the bone.  
"Both."  
"Come and sit," he ordered, waiting for him to take his time and cop to take his place beside the hospital bed. The man made him feel like being watched by the commission. One bad move and his head is on the silver plate. Literally.  
"Ok, so tell me what is it about."  
Vishous gave him the coldest of his looks.  
"I´m stuck with my visions. I can´t get one, because my head can´t process it. So it´s giving me headaches instead, rather violent ones."  
"You mean like attacks?" involuntarily he immediately remembered Payne and bit his tongue to get the image out of his head.  
"Yes. It happened some years ago and stopped. Now it´s happening again."  
Butch took his turn on the description. "It happened two day ago. We were in the club, he got dizzy, couldn´t see me properly, he was getting in and out of consciousness for the whole night. Fever at the end."  
"That looks pretty bad to me."  
"That´s why we´re here."  
"Wrath knows about this?"  
He noticed V tensing. "He knows, told me I have to take care of this, or I´m out of the streets."  
And that would obviously kill you. It would kill any warrior. That´s why are you here.  
"What helped you the other time?"  
V looked at him like he was seeing a fool. "Nothing. I just let it pass. And used some drugs to push it down to bearable limits when I was out."

He heard Butch´s growl at the statement, but didn´t respond on this in any way. He could now remember the one time catching the two of them together and the reason behind that reaction, but he successfully assumed this wasn´t the best time to make stupid jokes and laugh the tension off.  
"What drugs?"  
As he was getting the recipe, Mannelo was aware that he was frowning.  
"You didn´t get addicted, right?"  
"No, of course not."  
"Describe the pain from 1-10 when it strikes."  
"8."  
"Ok, hold your head like this for me. I´m going to switch this light. It might hurt a little."

Mannelo had the feeling he explained more to Butch than V, because when V flinched backwards painfully, it was only cop´s strong will keeping the man away from Manny´s throat.  
"Show me your eyes, V. It takes only few seconds."  
It was more than obvious even that simple action was painful, when there was enough light to make the task more difficult.  
"Ok, you can close your eyes."

He waited till Vishous collected his breathing, ignoring the fact that Butch was much closer than before.  
"I could prescribe you some hard kicking meds. But just same as with drugs, they will make you sleepy, exhausted, dizzy or aggressive… We don´t really know. And it won´t solve the thing. No human meds can solve your visions."

The men looked at each other, but didn´t say anything.  
"But there is another way."  
He got their attention back. "From what I know about your visions and the stuff, I think it´s more psychological thing than medical. You said that too. Your brain can´t process something what is too personal and too painful for you. Have you ever," he was perfectly aware of the dangerous water there, "tried any form of therapy or meditation?"

Mannelo could see the hella one negative reaction before it really came.  
"Hey, no, listen! It´s not like those things are total crap. Look at Z. It helped him." He tried to look for the support in Butch. "You have to know it´s working, cop."  
He nodded. "Yes, for some people."  
"See? It´s the form of treatment. Nothing to be worried about or anything."

Vishous´s expression stayed unchanged. "You don´t see the point, doc. I can´t talk to anyone about my visions. I won´t pass this burden on anyone else. Never."  
Ok, this wasn´t fair at all.  
"You don´t have to really." Mannelo turned to Butch again. "You can just talk about how it feels, not what is in the dreams."  
Cop seemed to understand, he put his hand on V´s shoulder squeezing it.  
"He is right. We can at least try. It´s still better choice than just wait for it to end, don´t you think? I can´t see you again like that."  
Mannelo gave them a little space by moving to his table again, taking out a small white box.  
"They are strong, but shouldn´t cause much trouble. Take one per day, not more. If the pain won´t get better or anything weird is happening, you have to come back and we will figure out something else."  
"Don´t worry," Butch said, "I will make sure of that."

Mannelo didn´t expect any gratitude. He knew the man. So they just nodded at each other, their eyes saying: "I don´t like you any better" and "I know." – their usual formula, when one or another did some favor, but in fact didn´t get any closer.  
"And, doc…"  
He turned around not expecting Butch to return once more after they walked off.  
"Yes?"  
Suddenly the male blushed like a boy feeling guilty about breaking a window, when he wanted to throw the rock to someone´s head.  
"I just… Well, you know about the earlier, right?" … Oh here we are…  
"V told me he will talk to you, but then just wasn´t any time and now I actually don´t want him to deal with people, when he wants to bite everyone´s head off." He took a deep breath. It was clear as hell this wasn´t pleasant for him at all.  
"So…"  
"I get it, Butch."  
"Hm?"  
"I won´t tell anyone. And I´m perfectly fine with you two having whatever you´re having," he spilled out, "it´s not like you weren´t close before."  
God, Mannelo doubted the man could get any more red, but obviously he could.  
"You shouldn´t worry about the people here really. We´re some kind of family, right? They will be happy, you´re happy. Beside that I think it can help him."  
"What?"  
"You, cop."  
For a few seconds Butch just stood at the place frozen.  
"Yeah, I guess." He relaxed a little by putting his hands into the pocket of his jeans.  
"We just want to have some time to figure everything out by ourselves for now."  
"Sure thing. No one will hear from me."  
He met with a raised eyebrow. "No one?"

Mannelo looked away from Butch´s hazel eyes. He didn´t want to deal with this again.  
"We´re not talking much. She´s mad at me."  
"Why?"  
The one word: "difficult." He appreciated, when Butch didn´t pushed the subject and just smiled.  
"Tell me about it."  
Then he turned for his leave the second time, but Mannelo stopped him, returning the grin.  
"Don´t forget to tell V to wear something warm, maybe a sweater."

He enjoyed the puzzled expression on cop´s face.  
"Your plan won´t work with him running around the house with those biting marks."

* * *

Hey, I know this is just a small one, but I was so late with this story that I didn´t trust myself to write more and wait for few more days. I rather did it like this. And I think it´s maybe better to cut it into 2 chapters, because the other part will be enough problematic and long to stay alone just fine. Anyone who thought I was done with this story - NO WAY! :) I´m just abnormally slow. Sorry for the mess. I hope you liked this in-lead to the relationships. Somehow I always admired and loved the tension between V and Manny. How they hated each other, but only to their soft points - V´s was Payne happiness and Mannelo´s was seeing Vishous as a patient.

I tried to get both points into the story. Love you! Leave me some review, please! E.


	26. Chapter 26

He feared the moments like this, when his fists kept colliding with enemy´s face, bones and flash, looking for weak points and for strong even more. His body longing for challenge, for someone, who would fight back and defend. Bite and stab.  
In such moments he was completely lost. The way back was hard and hazy.  
"You´re changing…"  
The black blood mixed with filth on his hands. He couldn´t say what is what.  
"You´re changing…"  
The man beneath him screamed. It was an inhuman sound from inhuman.  
"Lethre, just end it, man. We should go."

And there was the change. Now he could make himself to stop. In one moment he was and old ruthless beast, in the second he was standing beside the blonde male, searching for ID´s and jars. He liked the control, but at the same time it reminded him his past, when he had none of these. No control and no man he could call a friend, helping him walking back to reality, when he got too far from it.  
"You´re angry tonight," Rhage said on their way back to the mansion. "I get it. We´ll find them."  
Bloodletter looked at him – at his young and strong spirit painting his stubborn features. He couldn´t believe how little time the vampire needed to get under his skin and manage something what no one could for hundreds of years. Earn trust, become close.  
"I know."  
It wasn´t the only thing on his mind, no, and Rhage knew that very well. It was new for him – to be on the saving mission instead of the murderous ones and to really care. Nothing of that was possible to say out loud. He knew that he shouldn´t be adjusting so quickly. He should be disgusted with a lot of changes, which happened to the society and vampires. The blind king on the throne? He could see his old self laugh at that and make horrible jokes to entertain his company. But now everything was different. It looked like he was born anew, when he returned to this world with clear mind and choices to make. More terrifying than the progress he found his own attitude.  
Maybe if he would be the same person but trying to get better, it would be more easy. Now he was just a big mess.

"Is it Vishous?"  
Bloodletter punched the bag in the gym more or less pretending he was still in the streets.  
"Remind me how did you get that from me?"  
The male grinned wildly. "I´m irresistible."  
He should watch his mouth more closely from now on.  
"You talked to him, didn´t you? He isn´t mad. You tried to help him. It was an accident."  
Was it? Was the accident that he stood behind all nightmares hunting his son?

He recalled the conversation between them and how exactly miserable he felt when Vishous kind of thanked him for his help despite his obvious invasion to his privacy.  
"I´m glad he didn´t have to deal with everything alone…"  
Butch O´Neil.  
Human and vampire.  
He seemed to be everywhere near his son, always accompanying him, fighting with him and defending him whether in front of the enemy or king. The bond they shared was something beyond Bloodletter´s imagination. He could recall that one night, when Butch smelled like a bonded male and then everyone´s surprise, when they realized exactly who´s smell it was. Back then Bloodletter thought about some men in his camp he knew were holding relationships or just sex dates. He never had problem with that unless it was happening before his eyes.

And at the moment he felt relief. After all he was the one who took care of that his son could not have a normal shellan and normal life. Despite that he found someone who´s standing by his side.

He had someone, who could protect him. Why am I here then?  
Regardless of his best trying, he could never get close enough to really change something. He felt like an intruder. And liar.  
Everytime Butch was teaching him how to use new technologies, everytime, when Rhage came and took him to enjoy simple company of alcohol and games. Everytime, when some of the shellans gave him smile, he didn´t deserve. Everytime when they received orders and got together in the streets. Everytime, when his son saw him as an ally.

He was a liar.

"You want to watch a film later? Marry will come and…"  
"No," he didn´t stop punching the bag. "I don´t think it´s wise." No, those weren´t the words he wanted to use.  
"Wise?" Rhage laughed taking a small step to the side for keeping himself out of Bloodletter´s killing zone. "I thought I already taught you some appropriate this-century words, like: go to hell, Hollywood or kiss your…"

Bloodletter frowned, putting a one final blow before he turned to the man.  
"You don´t understand."  
"What? So tell me."  
Hell, he was kind of yelling.  
"I can´t stay here with you." That had to sound poisonous. "I mean… You don´t know me."  
Rhage was still looking at him with serious doubt, uncertain how to react.

Bloodletter knew it was stupid to act, when he was this angry and frustrated, talking without thinking, but the words were already faster than his head. He just felt sick of everyone getting used to him like he was a friend or him getting used to them.  
"I´ve done some horrible things, Rhage. Others were right, you shouldn´t trust me this much."  
He wasn´t doing anything with his hands and that was the problem. They stood in silence for whole ages.  
"Everyone has done some stupid things." His hand ran through his golden hair. "In my case it´s hard to count, really."

Bloodletter inhaled deeply, but before he could say anything, Rhage continued: "I know what you want to say… that I don´t know what it is about. But hey, you seem like a good man to me, everyone has a past, but it´s not who we are now. You can decide."  
Rhage was obviously proud to do such a speech and that fact just couldn´t let Bloodletter stay cold for much longer.  
"Look, maybe we don´t know why are you here or who you really are, but we all trust Scribe Virgin not to put as in danger… or maybe everyone except V. You´ll tell us, when you´ll be ready, true?"

He was watching Rhage´s cheerful form and in that very moment, when he looked him in the eyes, he knew he could never tell him.  
"So… Movie?"  
He smiled and it was honest.  
"Yes. Movie."

OOO

"Let me take your clothes off, cop."  
Butch could imagine a lot of better situations and undertones fitting this request than the one, when he stood sick pale against the shower door unable to move or breathe properly. A lot of more in which it would give him goose bumps on the spine instead of the urge to scream and kick only to be naked already.

He swallowed carefully.  
"You have…" he closed his mouth before he could continue afraid he was going to throw up right on the spot.  
"…your blessing?"  
"Yeah," he muttered against his own palm, making some place for Vishous to maneuver his hands between him and clothes. Soon after he appeared under the stream, hot water caressing the sore parts and V´s hands still on his body cleaning him softly like a porcelain doll.  
"Now comes the…"  
"Better part?"  
"Stop ending…"  
"My sentences."  
"Fuck, V," he breathed the curse out to the spot between V´s neck and shoulder, where Butch rested with his forehead. His body acted purely on its own pressing closer to the glowing source of light in the room with result of leaving not an inch free between the two of them. It felt so good and perfectly no-guilty.  
"I like you after the shower." His words were a slow whisper against V´s skin. The one, which smelled dark and exotic.  
"When I don´t stink like a baby powder?"

Butch loved the way how V put his tattooed hand over his heart and the other one on cop´s back drawing circles over there. It was familiar and relaxing. He felt the darkness leaving his internal organs and finally he could close his eyes and fall asleep buried in V´s touch and comfortable sheets.

He woke up half an hour later in the exactly same pose he remembered the last time feeling clean and healthy again. Maybe not 100% yet, but still good enough to go and eat with others, chat a little and laugh of the tension from another failed night. Some of the guys went straight to the gym, others to their shellans. They met Lethre on his way somewhere and then Rhage explaining a movie night and how are they all invited.  
Fritz also came to apologize.

"I´m so sorry. The king asked me and I had to tell the truth. I know I caused you troubles. I´m sorry, sir."  
The butler looked destroyed. It took them a while to assure him it wasn´t his fault and to thank him for his assistance.

They returned back to the Pit. Butch stood by V´s side, when he took his pills and looked back at the cop with a comforting half-smile and this made him see the whole bathroom scene even more clearly.  
"Manny wants to do some more tests."  
He didn´t say anything on this, but Butch could see that he didn´t believe it could work for him.  
"And I want to help you my own way," he said touching his arm slightly, he thought about the idea whole morning. "I know you won´t talk to anyone and I know you need something else. The question is if you would let me?"  
He saw a trust. And he saw desperation. In one moment Vishous nodded to his request and in the second they were standing in the gym against one another barefoot.

"What is this, cop?"  
Butch suck a quick breath to his lungs. "This is you and me fighting."  
There was a one second of silence before V laughed. "Such a therapist you fucking are."  
Butch didn't let V distract him from his purpose, when he decided to explain everything.  
"Look, I know that some people are just not the chatty types. I´ve seen that a lot in my work. Not everyone has to talk, when he wants his head to be clear. In my unit," hell, it was still hard to talk about this, "there were few people like you."  
"Assholes?"  
"Self-destructive."  
He expected some bitter comment, but none was coming.  
"As you can guess I didn´t let them purposely get hurt even when they were looking for danger in any possible place. Instead we did something else." He looked him in the eye all serious.. "Sparring."

There was some time, when Butch couldn´t understand someone asking to be hurt, not until he found himself doing exactly the same. Maybe in his case it wasn´t so open, but he learnt what it meant, when you need someone to punch the darkness out of your damn head. In his opinion and according to his knowledge this urge started if man was for a longer time unable to fight against any physical or psychological abuse.

-When you are used to get hit, you can find a familiarity and safety in being hit or you can hit someone else. It´s your choice.-  
That´s what he heard once and that was also what he thought. Butch knew that V wasn´t afraid of death now. Hell, every damn night he could put on this fine later stuff, get a weapon and run out in the streets even when it should be his last one. He wasn´t asking for death, but he was ready to take it for Butch or for any other brother.  
But he had been afraid of death back then, when he was too young to die on such a horrible place. He was afraid that his family would die now, but at the same time it wasn´t like fear Butch was used to. It was hard to understand what he had to get through in his nightmares. Still, at the end everything what was left was frustration. Whether it was his own or Butch´s future death, the real problem was the frustration he felt when he knew it couldn´t be stopped. He was helpless, not doing anything against his visions and he had to feel like he needed to be punished for it. It wouldn´t be the first time.

-"You told me he accepted that you don´t want him to seek a danger in the streets, that you want him to ask you instead."  
"Yes."  
Marry smiled knowingly. "Did he ask?"-

Butch´s eyes were all focused on Vishous. He hadn´t asked. Not a single word because he knew how bad was Butch taking it. And his own body was clearly trying to do the job without him participating. It didn´t have to be like that, but it was Butch´s best shot.  
"I won´t hurt you. But I will defend myself. Sorry if I´ll give you a blow or two."  
V told him he will do it. He was the man, who kept his word even when it wasn´t pleasant for him.  
"I don´t know what you mean by this or how it could help with anything." Suddenly he smirked viciously and it was all that Butch could wish for. "But if you wanted to get your ass kicked by me, you could just ask."


	27. Chapter 27

"Here you are, Hollywood. "  
"No fucking way, Z. That doesn´t count. How many times do I have to tell you, you can´t just bent the rules whenever you want, man. You need to try at least… jesus, fuck, what the hell happened to you two?" The loud whistle and cursing was exactly what Butch expected when he walked into the common room having V by his right side and at the same time trying to hide his wide grin.

Yeah, someone could say it was a stupid thing to show up with all those bruises painting their skin, maybe twice that stupid with a knowledge they would be gone in few hours, but it was definitely worth Rhage´s face, when he leaned back from the pool with a big empathic grimace.

V immediately brought up his deadly stare.  
"Just keep your mouth shut. I don´t even have to see the future to know you´re going to have your face broken if you say what´s on your mind."  
"I´m not saying anything." But he grinned a lot.

Butch sighed recalling how both of them had to look after his small therapy session. Better not ever to tell Marry or actually anyone with clear senses.

-"Does it feel good?"  
Vishous gasped for air bent in his waist. His ribs surely screaming in pain, when he looked up. He swallowed the blood in his mouth as he laughed: "the hell it does."  
Butch had no idea how much time they were already there, beating the shit out of each other. He was looking back at his patient with a little swallowed eye and blood on his lips, but pleased to the core with other´s answer.  
"You´re crazy, you know it?"-

Someone laughed at the full round. "He had to piss you of really bad."  
"Finally he reached your limit, brother?"  
Butch realized that everyone was looking at him expecting an answer which would confirm he started to fight because V hit the button.  
"Actually not this time. It was a friendly sparring."  
"Can´t believe this."  
"I wouldn´t like to see your unfriendly fight cop, really."

Butch grinned still mentally happy with himself and hoping the whole thing served some purpose at least.  
"You guys found something tonight?" He didn´t have a chance to ask earlier, but he soon started to regret his question, when the cheery atmosphere disappeared replaced by sudden dead silence.  
"One of the bastards told Hollywood that girls are dead," Z was the one who spoke up with grave tone, "we were playing with him almost whole night, but it didn´t lead anywhere."  
Rhage visibly struggled to keep his calm posture. "This sort is somehow new – tough or scared as hell to tell us anything."  
"It´s time for them to become more scared of us than Omega," Phury made his note from the corner of the room. Not intending to get in another argument with V, Butch shut his mouth before he could suggest a possible solution. After all Dhestroyer and his inhaling ability was always the biggest scarecrow in the field.

Someone seemed to get under his poker face and tried to explain further: "we´re not talking about you, Butch. We know you´re doing the great job out there." For a brief second he thought he heard Vishous growl.  
"Where´s your man by the way?" he quickly asked the blonde male with Rhage turning back at him – big puppy eyes. "Sorry, V. don´t be mad at me."

Z laughed darkly. "He´s going to kill you. I told you."  
"What is it?"  
It was actually a surprise Z was here instead of his own room and playing with Rhage on top of that. "He sent him to the Pit."

Butch´s previous thoughts immediately disappeared as he froze in the place. He eyed Vishous looking like he is going to throw another punching round with anyone who would dare to cross his path.  
He growled again, but this time everyone had to hear it. "And what was the fucking reason?"  
Butch was probably thinking about the same thing – they hadn´t bother to lock the door before they´d left and they really didn´t want anyone wandering around the place.  
Rhage tried to say something probably at his defense, but it was clear he´s going down no matter his words.  
"Hey, I thought you are in there and would hand him my DVD´s. Last time I forgot them, ok? So I didn´t know… V, man, where are you going? Don´t kill him, please!" The last sentence was only a half whisper towards brother´s vanishing back. "I quite like him, you know?!"

OOO

The mansion was silent at the time, when one vampire male ran through its wooden floor making no sound despite his heavy boots, almost like the house was scared to let escape any cries out loud and unintentionally disturb the man.  
It didn´t matter at all, because Vishous wasn´t paying attention to any statue or painting he passed. He didn´t care about nothing than the half-open door to the apartment he shared with his cop. Few not large rooms filled with their very personal items. He stopped at the doorway and calmed his breathing first. His sane half knew that he was little overprotective and it was stupid to haul in there with his fangs ready to bite heads of. The insane part however leaded him in few seconds later with an urge to throw out anyone who got any near his things.

"Don´t touch that."  
Lethre jumped at the place turning his face at Vishous and immediately taking a step back from the tables where all the tech was. His expression changing from alarmed and calculating to something V couldn´t read. He didn´t came closer.  
"I apologize. I knocked and the door just opened." It seemed like he knew it wasn´t good enough for the reconciliation. "Still there was no reason for me to enter."  
"No, it wasn´t."  
V slowly calmed down at least to the point he realized he actually could calm down. He knew that his reaction was only the result of the man getting into places he shouldn´t have before. He nodded towards the TV.  
"They are under the table."

First it looked like the man had no idea what was V talking about, his eyes following the track to the table and back. Then a sudden tone of realization escaped his mouth and he quickly grabbed the DVD´s.  
"Thank you," he said, his gaze slipping once again to the computers. "You run those things?" After a few seconds of complete silence Vishous approached one of the multiple screens and let it wake up.  
"It´s a surveillance system for the mansion and few others families," he explained, when he saw a true interest in Lethre´s face. "I monitor possible threats so everyone is as safe as possible."

Vishous was used to his brothers thinking he was some kind of genius in IT and hell he surely was. But these days no one paid too much attention to his work as it had became a common thing – V supporting everyone with technology. Seeing an admiration for that was rare.  
"This all," Lethre circled the room with his eyes, "is like magic to me."  
"How old are you?" His head spun at his neck so quickly that it would be impossible not to detect it was a question he didn´t expect or like. "Old. Very old, as you can see." He still managed to wipe away any emotions from his face before V could see what he was really thinking.  
"You know my mother well?" Vishous just decided to push no matter the result. He was looking at the strong built warrior who could kill as good as any of the brothers, who by the accident got in his head and saw some of his deepest secrets and still he had no fucking clue who he really was.  
"I know her for centuries."  
"And the reason why are you here?"  
"Only the part of it, yes."  
Vishous raised a brow at once more useless information. "What about something more specific?" Butch should be doing this."I can see how everyone is quickly forgetting that we know shit about you. And sorry for not trusting my dear mother with the stuff." It was the truth that most people in the mansion got used to Lethre´s presence, he fought well, he fucking saved Phury´s life, so why not? But there was always that alarm ringing in V´s head that they were all pulled into something bigger than it seemed.  
"I just wonder," he continued sounding calm but confident, "why my mother had to hide your thoughts in front of me. What is there I can´t see?"  
"A man´s thoughts should be always hidden."  
Vishous bet on logic. "But you have to agree with me, we could prepare better on whatever is coming, if we knew what that will be."

The man just smiled knowingly. "I would like to know it as well. The only thing I am aware of…" He cut the sentence like he was considering his options. "I won´t lie to you. I want to be helpful as much as I can. That´s why I´m telling you I´m here for you."  
Vishous frowned. "For me?"  
"Yes. Scribe Virgin wanted to protect you from something and I trust her she knew the best how to manage that." He looked nervous, like he overstepped some unwritten rule, but he definitely wasn´t lying.

V laughed at that, but there was not real cheer in the sound. "I think it´s pretty late for her protection now, don´t you think?" Fuck, I need a drink.

OOO

Bloodletter was looking at his son and how he poured another drink after he swallowed two previous, this time turning his attention to him and asking what Bloodletter´s drinking. He had a one polite refusal prepared on his tongue, but then he just realized that one drink wasn´t going to end in any disaster and he pointed at the bottle with scotch.  
"Butch would really like your choice." It didn´t escape him that Vishous sounded different when speaking about his friend.  
"You are living here with him." That wasn´t exactly a question, so he didn´t protest, when he didn´t receive an exact answer.  
"Neither of us has shellan, so we like to keep each other company." He handed Bloodletter his drink. "I assume it´s also practical for what he does at the streets."  
"Yes, I witnessed that already." Bloodletter thought about it a little before he spoke again. "When I was here the last time there was no clear path how to get rid of that filth from the world. I think a lot of good warriors would have easier leaving if they knew it could be stopped one day and enemy can be defeated."

Vishous was looking at him like he was trying to catch more than what was Bloodletter getting out. He raised his drink inviting. The alcohol burned their throats and silenced both of them for a while.  
"I know that the day will come, but I can´t imagine what we´re going to do after."  
"There is always a new threat, when the old one is gone."  
"True."  
He swallowed another drink for himself and then prepared two more. Well, just this one.  
"So what is there for you?"  
"Pardon me?"  
"What did she promise you for taking a job." Vishous shook his head. "You know you own me."  
"For invading your privacy." And your memories, which are well known to me. "She gave me the opportunity to fix my mistakes."

Bloodletter knew it would look like he wanted to change the conversation´s direction too violently, but still he needed to ask. "What happened to your face?" He was hell sure that Vishous didn´t come like this from the patrol.  
"You should see the other one."  
Unfortunately the "other one" appeared at the same doorway as Vishous had before and right after it was said, but in Bloodlether´s eyes definitely less bruised.  
"The other one is younger," Butch grinned from the place he stood. "And healing faster."  
"That´s what you´re saying, cop. Want a drink?"

Butch sent a one disapproving look around the room. "I was thinking I´m coming for a funeral and I found you drinking your ass and actually…" his gaze stopped at Bloodletter´s glass in his hand. "It seems like I found a new drinking buddy too, damn."  
"I´m on my way." Bloodletter sent him an apologetic smile. "But maybe next time." He put the glass down without taking another sip and hoping any of the man wouldn´t take it as offense.  
"Right. Ok, see you later then. Rhage is already chewing on his nails waiting for you."

Bloodletter stepped out of the room and for the first time allowed himself to take a deep breath. Slowly he started walking away from the two figures laughing about something he didn´t catch.

He didn´t fight the idea that it was important to know his son the best he could, if he was supposed to be an actual help, but that didn´t change the fact he still felt like talking to the most intelligent and through-seeing man on Earth. One slip and the game was over. It was a disturbing thought.

He kept walking and he put his mind to DVD´s in his hand. Reading the titles he didn´t recognize any, but that was completely fine with him. When he suddenly heard distant voices he let his attention come back to the place he was in. It was still the corridor – not even close enough to the room where everyone was.  
However the two people in front of him hadn´t even been in that room before. He recognized doctor´s white coat, but he wasn´t sure if he had ever seen the woman he was talking to. They were clearly arguing over something, both gesturing wildly, but not shouting yet.

There was no other way how to get pass them without notice, he had to continue and walk by. Of course he wasn´t so stupid to think he won´t be spotted, but he was prepared to disappear as fast as he could.  
That preparation failed in all ways.

The woman followed doctor´s eyes slipping at Bloodletter and she turned to look at him. Her angry face not changing its expression at all. Their eyes awkwardly met and in that very moment Bloodletter felt like this couldn´t be real.

He was drowning. His heart didn´t beat. The stabbing steal was penetrating his vital organs and his own flesh was burning on his bones. He couldn´t see. The whispered words were tearing his soul apart.  
He wanted to scream, but his voice was dead. He was dead.


	28. Chapter 28

Concentrate.

Stay conscious.

Concentrate.

Breathe.

Are you listening?

Breathe.

Now you know what to do.

No.

Concentrate. What is your task?

You have nothing to do with her.

What is your task?

No! She was always mine.

Beware of her because she is the one with her eyes wide open.

Concentrate.

What is your task?

OOO

Butch ran with hand through his messed up hair and quietly swore at the sight before him.  
"You know you shouldn´t drink now."

On the other side of the kitchen V glanced back at him through his shoulder. "Pissed off because you weren´t invited to the party, cop?"  
He could sense his half smile across the room and it made him feel like more swearing forming in his mouth. There was that familiar sound of the bottle being moved accompanying Butch´s thoughts of what the fuck could be a reason that V would risk a possible sabotage to his treatment. He was still on the pills. So one drink? Ok with a closed eyes. But four? It wasn´t like the brother couldn´t live without it for a…  
"Does it work?" Butch spilled the question and almost felt V´s smile fading even when he couldn´t see it.  
"What?"  
"The pills Mannelo gave you."

He put the glass to his mouth and then down back on the table without taking a sip. Butch´s hand covered his after he moved behind V´s back. "They did."  
It wasn´t that simple answer which made Butch felt miserable. It was the fact that V was so good at hiding that it was so simple to him to pretend everything was fine. He put his trust into Butch and cop wasn´t stupid. He knew that the only reason, why he wasn´t taking some shit now was only because of him. So about the matter of fact, he was in pain because of him.

For some reason it was tearing Butch´s heart right in his chest.  
"Hey, don´t do that."  
Butch realized with a surprise that V was no longer showing him his back.  
"Don´t blame yourself. It´s my fucking head, true? I don´t know what´s wrong or how to fix it. So how can you?"

He didn´t dared to open his mouth immediately scared of pissing Vishous off at the same time.  
"How bad and don´t lie to me."  
V smirked and after a brief scanning it looked honest. "A lot of better than before, doctor. And I mean it."

It didn´t return the wind to the sails, but at least convinced Butch that all the crazy stuns he made Vishous do – like their small bull fight or allowing himself being checked by a person he would like to choke, had some meaning. If nothing else, it was a good try. Well, actually the best when Butch considered he wasn´t any doctor or psychologist or supernaturally-fucking-educated.

He was caught up by a surprise, when he felt V´s hand pulling him closer. He let his body crashed against brother´s strong chest feeling like a bitch for seeking a comfort, when he should be the one giving it.  
"If nothing works anymore, I´ll go to Scribe Virgin."  
Vishous laughed bitterly to cop´s hair. "She will fry you."  
"I know. Don´t mind." Hell, he felt completely lost in the warmth and then even more as V´s arms tightened around him. He´d never felt so invincible like when he heard him growl: "only through my dead body." Yeah, he definitely felt like he could breathe fire now!  
"I ´m still surprised she didn´t do anything about this." He let Vishous wandering through his own words without a reply.

"Wrath called," then he suddenly stated and left Butch a place to move and look at him. "We have shifts like before."  
"Is he giving up?" He didn´t blink afraid of knowledge whose small bodies he would see in that tiny second.  
V shook his head. "No, he´s not. We just need some time to come up with a new plan. Besides the kids need someone to kick their asses in training. I´m teaching tomorrow." He didn´t hear any anger although it was pretty clear why was V Wrath´s first choice off the streets. "You with me."  
"Did Wrath say this or you?"  
"First me, he agreed."

Why that didn´t surprise him? "But right now we have still a lot of time, right?"  
V narrowed his eyes with a suspicion. "Yes, why?"

Butch´s mouth went into a giant smile in the exact moment, when he saw V understood. For a few second he just enjoyed those beautiful eyes changing to something animal-related, wild and those hands resting on cop´s body getting heavier. It was like a spell slowing down a time. Making things twice as sensitive and twice as needful.

Butch fell down on his knees hungry after that mouth, which slightly opened in the same moment releasing a shuddering breath. He wanted to feel V´s hands on his neck and in his hair, not having them gripping the edge of the table behind.  
"You were a very good patient today."  
"Fuck cop, what do you want to do?"  
He put his hands on V´s hips steadying him on place.  
"Another form of therapy, perhaps. You should consider yourself lucky. I kneel only before two people. The first one is Jesus, my lord and savior." Butch grinned from the ground. "Then you."

OOO

There was a smell of fire in the air and its consuming destruction. A victim and a murderer standing against each other. In that one silent hallway playing both roles – a butcher and a pig, a princess and a huntsman.

Bloodletter was drown into woman´s cold eyes and in the same moment confident that what he saw there was a knowledge. He felt like shivering under her hateful stare - like she was breaking through all his walls and seeing everything, his very soul, playing with it and finally considering if she should continue in that torture or throw it to the wild dogs.

He was sure that the woman had to smell that stinking odor. Burning. Burning. It was his flash and the fear of his sudden death. Then he thought he saw her speaking, her mouth was moving and it was: "kill him!"  
But a moment passed and there was no one to catch his arms and shove a dagger to his heart.  
"It´s him," she said, the death sentence misspelled, sending a boat of relief to the stormy water.

"It´s him, a new warrior?"

Bloodletter didn´t release his breath. Suddenly he saw the other figure certain that it couldn´t be there with him the whole time.  
"Yes, he is. Lethre, please, meet my shellan Payne, V´s sister." There was a quick laugh and more sarcastic words, which wasn´t making a good sense to him. "Now you probably know, why he likes me so much."

He should have responded somehow. There was a few second in which that would be appropriate and expected, but he missed them. He couldn´t find his voice, he couldn´t hear it through the screaming in his head.  
It wasn´t his task. It wasn´t his task.  
How hard he tried to reach into his memories and find a face and whispered words before his body had turned to ashes, but it was all gone and impossible to connect.  
"You okey?"  
He looked away. "Yes." No. It was my daughter. She killed me. Why did it make him feel sick?

Bloodletter made himself talk, or maybe he just imagined it. Because suddenly he was running away and there was someone calling after him, but he didn´t stop. He couldn´t stop.

That night he dreamt about hell and fire, about hollow faces smiling at him from darkness and one face, which wasn´t like any other. It wasn´t laughing at him, it wasn´t biting, it wasn´t twisted and ugly. It was the face of the person who soothed his mind with her deep blue eyes. He´d seen it before. Yes. And from that night he saw it every time he closed his eyes for the rest of his damned life.


	29. Chapter 29

The Pit was unlocked, the door slightly opened and anyone could walk in and out any second without too much noise. Anyone could walk in and out and find two males in a very inappropriate position – tangled together, breathless, on the floor. But no one in that Pit seemed to give a fuck. Yeah…

Butch walked through the previous moments still fresh and strong in his mind. He could feel every pull and twist of V´s fingers in his hair and every shiver he´d sent to his body even when he now just brushed his skin gently. It was like every cell in cop´s body remembered the feeling each time when the two of them got close enough.  
His head was full of quiet moans and then the loud ones, echoing through his soul and making the hairs on his hands stand up. Those sounds made pretty much a mash from his brain.

He recalled the moment, when V´s legs had refused to hold him upright and he´d slipped down against the wall, down for Butch to catch him and let him take a proper breath in his embrace, surrounded by cop´s present and smell.  
He also recalled that painful and distant stare, when he´d bent down and kissed his scars and after that how he´d wiped the stare of his face. When he´d looked on his man once more there was nothing but pure adoration.

"Thank you," V breathed out the words with a soft kiss placed on brother´s neck.  
"Don´t thank me, asshole." Butch tightened his grip. "It´s still a part of my treatment."  
"You should make sure no one else is ever going to receive this kind of treatment from you," he growled in response and eh, screw it, if it didn´t sound as dangerous as hot.  
For a second Butch was seriously once again wondering how it was even possible that things weren´t always this way between them.

"I want to have a date with you." In a one brief moment Butch´s head turned in the galactic speed. "Would you go?"

That sincere question had him completely disarmed. Like he would ever consider a no for the response. No hell…  
But this was serious. Not like they never hangout with each other, but a real date? The simple idea caused Butch´s guts to twist while few pieces of his best clothes were happily rotating in front of his eyes, forming an outfit. But where to go?

Vishous probably thought on the same thing as his long fingers found Butch´s on the ground and squeezed gently.  
"A dinner would be fine for a start."  
Cop´s lips formed a big smile. He felt like a fucking teenager planning a secret run-from-the-house. "Are you cooking?"  
He asked that for two reasons: one – he was a really bad in cooking, two – V was very good in cooking or in whatever he got his hands on in general…  
"Yeah, I´m the one asking you out, right?"  
Butch´s smile faded a little. "Even if the out is only the Pit?"  
"That´s enough for me."  
"It´s enough for me too." For now.

Butch let his hand settle on V´s cheek with light touch like he was a piece of very old and beautiful art instead of the strong and deathly warrior.  
"Am I getting roses too?"  
"Name the color," V breathed the words into the sensitive skin on Butch´s neck – the place he so much liked to abuse only for the reaction he always got back.  
"Red." He felt the light pressure on his lips, when Visohus moved a little forward, but at the end he was the one who broke any boundaries and leaned in, captured V´s mouth without planning to release it any time soon. It was quite funny when they started to fight over control – so easy to slip away from the time and place they really were.

It slowly became a tradition of the door being unlocked in the worst time possible. When Butch´s ears suddenly detected someone´s boots marching towards the room, he was almost sure that the person weren´t about to wait for inviting. Despite that fact he didn´t break the kiss and was glad when V found enough willpower to do so instead.

Not that there wasn´t still enough damn evidence everywhere around them as Rhage´s mammoth´s form appeared in the doorway.  
"Hey, I asked you not to kill him, man. What the hell? Where did you burry him?" His tone was a mix of irritation and mischief. His half smile however quickly froze, when he read the situation. Thank God V had at least his pants back on.

Nope, he wasn´t looking at Hollywood, but even from the side one would definitely say that he couldn´t get this amazing shade of red in his cheeks from cleaning the fucking floor.  
"Ohh, sorry. Am I disturbing? Hell, of course, I am." His eyes drifted from V to Butch and back. "I´m on my way."  
Cop didn´t miss that this stupid half smile returned to his face immediately as he turned to leave. And surprisingly it made him smile too.  
"By the way have you seen Lethre? If you didn´t kill him as I first assumed."  
"He left twenty-thirty minutes ago," Butch explained, not really sure about the accuracy of the time data he gave.  
"And brother," V spoke up, his eyes shining darkly.  
"Yeah?"  
"Learn how to knock."

OOO

It was pretty much impossible for him to stop grinning, when he left the Pit.

Sure, Rhage was damn happy about whatever he´s just witnessed in there. It wasn´t like he had no clue – for that already too many accidents happened, but eh, yeah, those two were definitely forming each other and were twice as better together. Was it a big risky? Of course, it would be a disaster if one day things between them stop to work, but some inner force was telling him that it won´t be the case. After all he was the best example what a fool you can become for the person you love.

At least everyone in the house could breathe freely without that death tension surrounding them all the time.

He turned to the left and followed the empty hall towards the last door.

If Lethre wasn´t dead under V´s bed, it meant there was only one place left where he could be. And seriously, he hoped there wasn´t any fight between him and brothers. It could take weeks to find his corpse if cop joined hands with V about the matter.

He stepped in front of the door trying to catch any sound with his sensitive senses.  
"Lethre, buddy? You´re in there? Can I come in?"  
He was already gripping the handle with V´s learn-how-to-knock echoing through his mind. "I´m coming in, ok?"

The room was silent and dark, but in an obvious good shape. Everything on its place, nothing broken. Rhage approached the king´s sized bed considering his options in waking up the sleeping man lying there. He looked closely, when an undefined sound escaped his lips.

The visible tension in his body confirmed that whatever he was dreaming about – it wasn´t comfortable by the sight and Rhage knew the situation too well first handed. He also knew he would always choose to be awoken than staying in the dream on the mercy of his own head.

"Hey, man, wake up."  
He shook his shoulder gently, not really expecting a reaction it could cause, although he should have, before he found a blade pressed to his neck and his hands slowly moving up in the air.  
"It´s me," he whispered towards the clearly disoriented face of his friend.  
First very long seconds passed. "Rhage."  
"Yeah, that´s right." He smiled carefully. "Put that thing down, would you?"

Lethre´s hand fell to his side without life, curse slipping from his mouth.  
"I´m sorry." While Rhage sat beside, he hid his face in slightly trembling hands.  
"It´s okey. I shouldn´t have just walked in like that. It seems it´s not a good idea these times. You alright?"

Lethre nodded, his hair covering the side of his face.  
"Did something happen with V and Butch?" According to atmosphere in the Pit, Rhage doubted it, but he still wanted to know the reason why his DVD´s were lying on the nightstand instead of his DVD player.  
"No, sorry, I should let you know. I wasn´t feeling well."  
"Well, that dream also didn´t seem very pleasant," he agreed.  
"Actually," Some of the color seemed to return to his face. "It was pleasant at the end. I…" He suddenly stopped and looked sideways on Rhage like he was considering the possibility of him being interested on what he had to say. He sighed.  
"There is a one woman. I saw her in my dream, but I can´t remember anything about her even when her face looks so familiar. Has something like this ever happened to you?"

Rhage frowned, his eyebrows meeting in expression of deep concentration. "Maybe someone you knew. It wouldn´t be the first time Scribe Virgin wants to play with someone´s head."

Lethre looked up at him. "Is she the one who did this to you? The curse?"

The man hadn´t had the chance to meet the beast yet. The last time when it´d come to play was when Lethre had got shot and let´s say there hadn´t been enough time to introduce them properly.  
Rhage hoped that the mother of the race was too busy now to listen what he was about to say. "It wasn´t like I didn´t deserve it. But sometimes she can act too much obsessed with that balance thing of her. Tell me, where is the fucking balance in keeping one child in safety by her side and other one give to sadist."

Lethre clearly stiffened, but it wasn´t unusual when the conversation involved V. He had to hear something from Scribe Virgin by now.  
"Maybe we could look deeper into this. Find out if the woman is real. I wouldn´t be surprised if it had something to do with Scribe Virgin." He sank into his thoughts. "I´m still wondering how will she react when she´ll find out about V and…"

He probably realized his mistake the same second as Lethre understood what he was talking about.  
"… and who?"  
Rhage quickly analyzed the situation he got himself into. Fuck. He could have his mouth shut for once.  
"You know they are kinda close with cop."  
He was looking for some form of non-acceptance in his face, satisfied with finding none, he carefully continued.  
"Don´t ever tell anyone, but I think it´s becoming something more and I´m not really sure if they will ever get an approval from her, you know… Not like they can be separated anyway."  
"Yes, they doesn´t seem like you can make them do anything they don´t want."  
"But keep this to yourself, ok?"  
"Of course," he agreed. "What about the movie? Did I ruin the night?"

Rhage shook his head in assurance. "Not at all. No one was in the right mood for the movie. They kind of ran straight to their shellans."  
He was prepared for the question – why not you – but he was happy when it didn´t come in the end. He didn´t really feel like talking about his fight with Marry.  
"You´re not tired?"  
"You just woke me up."  
"Want to play an Assassin´s Creed with me?"

OOO

"Always think of where is your enemy. The strength isn´t everything. Sometimes all you need is one quick surprise. Now hit again and try to be unpredictable."

John Matthew clenched his fists and immediately stroke for brother´s left leg. His movement was ridiculously easy to block just as were the previous ones.  
"Your eyes are giving you of. Don´t look on the spot you want to hit, just keep the whole perspective and trust your instincts."  
John was glad that Vishous was speaking to him rather than using sign language in the gym around other boys. He was talking slow enough for him to read from brother´s lips and keep nodding where there was no need of a reply.

He tried again, this time trying to control his eyes, but he met with the same result as before, his lips formed a silence curse. John caught Blay´s eyes while he was standing few meters away and sparring with Quinn. Both boys gave him a supportive nod.  
"They already know how to do it." He had no clue why his hands showed this one sentence betraying him after all his attempts to stay at least a little positive. Three hours of drill have already passed and everyone from his group learnt at least basics. He was the only one left who needed an extra lesson. John, you are as good as an open book – he heard Zsadist say and who knows why it hurt so bad, when it wasn´t meant to.

He couldn´t even do sparring with Blay or Quinn anymore. They would easily break his skull with a simple friendly patting.  
"They have better reflexes and senses now. It´s simpler for them." He noticed that brother didn´t have to look behind to know who was John referring to. "I know it can be a pretty pain in ass, but you´re also in the waiting line. It´s no excuse not to try your best, true?"  
John glanced at V´s big form towering above him and he felt ashamed. He knew that the brother was staying here with him at the expense of his free time, just same as Zsadist watching them from the corner of the room. They had to have a lot of better things to do than improving his pathetic skills.

"One more time?" Vishous asked and John nodded for a hundredth time, gathering his strength even when his body was already far behind the exhaustion zone. It took them maybe 15 more minutes of practicing, until John finally managed to give a real hit. Not thanks to those amazing skills, but his anger. He´d attacked while the brother was still talking to him – he saw it as a great idea back then as he knew that Vishous was paying more attention to pronounce the words than searching for a hidden threat – he managed to move him a step back.

In John´s eyes it counted as cheating, in V´s it was a perfect application of "unpredictable".  
"Sometimes you have to take any advantage you can get, kid," he said, "I think we have enough for the day."

Yeah, his whole body was screaming at him to stop for god´s sake, take a break, drink water, but hell… alt those things could wait, because John didn´t feel so alive in weeks.  
"Everyone shower! Finish it!"  
He knew that brother was going to approach Zsadist first, he put a hand on his arm to stop him and then he quickly pulled it back recalling that the man didn´t like being touch.

"Thank you, sir. For your time."  
"Cut that sir crap when we are alone, John. You can come to me or any other brother if you ever need anything, you know that."  
He did and that was also the reason why he wasn´t in the showers now.  
"What is it?"  
John swallowed a ball forming in his throat. He´s been talking a lot about this with his friends.  
"I wanted to ask you, if it would be possible for you to…" Jesus, why was he complicating it so much? "I want a tattoo."

He expected a lot of different questions as why and what for rolling on his head, but under a little surprised gaze of the brother wasn´t anything other than calculation.  
"What do you want?"  
"My name in old language." If he asked why, John wasn´t sure what would his answer be. To remember who I am? A sort of.  
"Where?"  
"I´m not sure. My arm I think."

Vishous scanned him with his dark eyes. "You know that tattoo can deform, when you´ll get through the transition. Wouldn´t it be more clever to wait and get it after that?"  
Well, he was thinking about the option – hearing it from brother had a little different affection. Still he felt like he needed it right now.  
"You can make a sketch and have some time to think it through. Then you´ll find me, what do you say?"  
"Thank you again," John signed.

He realized it´s only two of them in the gym. Not even Zsadist was here anymore.  
"Hey, mind to do me a favor?"  
"Of course," John agreed happily. Whatever was in his powers.  
Vishous seemed to be oddly uneasy about anything he wanted to ask making John even more curious about what it could be.  
"I forgot my pills in the dressing room, could you get them for me? They´re on the lockers."  
"Sure." So nothing blood or killing related, John was glad.

As he turned to walk into the common showers and dressing room he let his eyes slip one last time to brother´s face. How it was that he didn´t notice he looked almost as exhausted as John? Damn, he seriously liked V and John´s never seen anyone in the house use any pills. He hoped everything was alright with him. After all he was one of the few people John felt like he could be himself with.

He wasn´t paying attention to anyone as he marched through the hot aired room, finding the white bottle quickly. He meant to hide it into his hand just in case, when someone from behind ripped it from his open palm with laughter.  
"What is it, Johnny boy?" Lash. "Are you in depression or something? Or is it just for a muscle grow?"

John really didn´t want to do this right now. He thanked every power in the universe that the bottle wasn´t labeled. Otherwise he would feel really miserable of letting someone like Lash to intrude brother´s privacy this way.  
He met the other boy´s eyes, his minions forming a circle around them putting them both in some kind of improvised arena.

"Give it back." John noticed Qhuinn fighting his way in. Most of the boys just stepped aside when they saw him storming towards John. Good idea.  
"Hey, saving your princess again, buddy?"

John moved in front of Qhuinn shaking his head. "It´s not worth it."  
Neither Blay or Quinn were able control their strength enough not to cause too much troubles for all of them.  
"Tell him it´s not mine and I need to take it somewhere. It´s important."  
Qhuinn gritted his teeth. Somewhere at the door John saw a flash of Blay moving.

"He says it´s not his. Give it back now." It wasn´t his exact words, but he was already proud on Qhuinn to say at least this before he could jump on the other boy and kick some senses to him.

Lash threw the bottle lazily into the air and caught it playfully with other one. "What if I don´t want to?" He opened it and the pills fell to the wet floor one by one. Hell, there was a certain point after which crossing Qhuinn wasn´t paying attention to any of John´s protests.  
Where are you, Blay?

John gazed back at the door behind him and saw the redhead walking in along with Vishous as his shadow. John cursed.  
"I´m sorry," he signed towards him, when all the boys moved back, suddenly looking too much worried instead of amused.  
"It´s okey, John," V growled, "now who can explain to me why the pills which could prevent someone to get killed in this room," he gave Lash a one quick stare, "are lying on the fucking floor."

At least the asshole paled and apologized immediately.  
"You was the one who stopped John?"  
"Yes. I apologize."  
"One more step aside and you´ll get into real troubles, kid. Watch carefully what you´re doing from now on. Are we clear?"  
He looked at the pills on the ground, turning to leave instantly. John clapped Qhuinn on his arm to thank him before he went out after the brother. He felt like he should do or say something after failing such a simple task. But Vishous wasn´t in the gym or hall or anywhere John looked.

"He´s a fair man," Blay said, taking his stand next to John as he was looking at the distant corner of empty underground tunnel. Qhuinn smirked. "And scary as fuck."

OOO

V sprung open the door leading to the guest room near the tunnel. There were roses he´d left there before, resting on the nightstand and the guilt hit him by the sight. He pulled out his phone and dialed cop´s number.

That was before he´d emptied his stomach twice to the bowl hanging on the edges for a dear life and it had been also before everything got swayed and he´d lost his stability for good. He couldn´t find the phone once as the images started to run through his mind.

* * *

Eh, yeah, neither I can believe this. It has almost 8 fucking pages in WORD! :) Don´t aks me how I managed this, I have no idea. However I have a really nice news for all of you who are interested also in other forms of art.

You may already know that beside writing I do a lot of more stuff! I work on my own book, I draw and paint, I play two musical Instruments and I like photographing. I tried to find a place where I could collect all of this art for you to see and I finally did.

This is my new account name for a page: InghamVall (please search the name in ´s database, because it´s not possible to add a link here)  
Never heard about this?

As I´m a young artist and I have only part-time jobs along with school, it´s very hard for me to gather enough money to improve every part of the work I do. Thanks to this page everyone who would like to support my art, can donate a little and get rewards in return. My friend was first who came to me with an idea and she was like: why not? Just try it. No one gives you anything? Ok, never mind. But what if? You could at least afford some new paints and brushes. :D

So here I am presenting you this site. Don´t feel obligated to donate anything. I know how it feels when you don´t have enough to give other people. It just seemed to me like a nice way how to keep in touch with all of you after this story will end. It´s really hard to admit it, but it will end one day.

If you have a minute or two, just go and get inspired, get dreamy and save this site, so you could come back, when there is going to be more art. And become my Patron, if you would like to support me! :)


	30. Chapter 30

Once he´d made an omelet.

Yeah, he had and he would willingly die right on the spot in the case it hadn´t been a damn good one. Butch recalled he´d prepared it for his mother. It´d been a cold evening and his father had already fallen asleep when she´d returned late from the work.

It´d been a king´s look to watch how her crazy-tired eyes lit up with love as she´d smelled freshly fried onions.  
That was pretty much the last time Butch´s cooked something really delicious. Why to even bother when the most of the days it´s been only him eating? God knows, he could survive on cans and beer for months.

"I can´t really believe I´m doing this," he sighed under his nose listening to his own voice echoing against the Pit walls as it was his only companion in the empty kitchen. Butch suspiciously glanced towards the boiling water with torn pack of spaghetti in his hand.

When he´d called Z few minutes ago and asked him where the fuck V was stuck for so long – tactically skipping the date part – he couldn´t quite bring himself to feel disappointed or mad as he´d learnt the man had been still working with John Matthew. The boy had been having a hard time around other pupils recently and maybe even more around his own friends, so it was only a logical step to help him with additional training. Few plus rounds could kick the person´s spirit higher than would one expect.

So there was no real reason for Butch to become frustrated or god… to start cooking by his own. His italian watch kept whispering him relaxing time datas – like for example: you have still two more hours left, don´t freak out about this date-thing, V had it probably all counted down and if not you can always order a fucking pizza, it would be maybe less serious then, don´t you think?...

He stopped to listen when he no longer recognized what is his watch´s babble and what his own wild theories playing around with his head.

It was true he didn´t need to cook.  
But well… he just had this fine image in front of his eyes of Vishous making him food with his own hands back in the Commodore. How he´d been watching his every move and not eating himself at all. This was the reason he put up his little experiment.

Butch also wanted to enjoy his man tasting food he made for him, he wanted him to recognize he had cared enough to spend his time working his ass off for this certain meal.  
If it won´t be edible at the end?  
He could still enjoy V´s expression as he would try to cover up.

The pasta slipped from the package into the boiling water slow motion way.

Ten minutes have already passed when ex-cop decided it probably wouldn´t be a bad idea to make some sauce as well and yeah – for all women who don´t believe in man´s powers behind the cooker – he really managed to do two things at the same time.

He was indeed very happy watching how smoothly everything went from that point. He kept looking around at the blanket where he packed the meal whole time as he was setting the table. It smelled really amazing. Good fucking work, Butch O´Neal! One-zero for you. Zero-one for dark forces living in one´s kitchen.

He rang V few more times decided he won´t let him know about his cooking, saving it as a surprise and result of Butch´s hidden talent. Not too much work around it as the man didn´t really pick up.

After all he was glad he hadn´t really managed to dress properly. It was a lot of easier walking around the mansion and looking for the idiot in his jeans than in a fucking suit.

Butch didn´t waste any time and aimed it straight for a tunnel, where John Matthew, Qhuinn and Blay have just appeared from behind the corner as he walked in.  
"Have you seen Vishous by any chance?" he shouted from the distance.  
The boys got closer. "He left the gym thirty-forty minutes ago, sir," the redhead answered politely, with flush in his cheeks from the workout or heat. He sideways glanced at his friend who supported him with a nod.

"He seemed a little…" John stopped sighing like he couldn´t find a proper word, then he just add: "is everything all right?"  
Butch tried to fight a bad feeling while he was reaching for his phone again, dialing a number.  
There was no way he paid any attention to John´s hands moving when surprisingly his call was really answered this time.

Silence and someone´s breathing – that was what he made from the connection and who knows why it was so hard to interrupt it.  
"V?"  
His stomach tightened in that familiar way when he didn´t know what was happening but at the same time knew exactly something fucked up.  
"Yeah?" V´s voice – weak and sleepy - slapped him into reality.  
"Where are you? What happened?"  
He heard him groan and Butch´s hand tightened its grip around the phone in response.  
"Where are you, V?"  
There was a second of silence, in which Butch felt like he´s going to puke from nervousness.  
"First floor, room next to… my workplace… bathroom," he navigated him and sighed, "Butch."  
"What?"  
"Hurry up. Please."

OOO

V let the phone slip away from his fingers and onto floor, soon followed by his too heavy hand. If he had more brain in his skull, he could probably save Butch from the pathetic look on his curled up body pressed against the cold floor helping him absorb at least a little heat he was burning with. He could survive this as always and come to him later. Maybe act like nothing happened and deal with the shit first.  
But hell, he needed him. He needed him so much his heart ached.

He didn´t even notice any sound as a minute later cop kneeled behind his back and his tender hands found V´s numb arms and waist drawing him into a sitting position. He steadied him against the wall. For V´s likeness it was as cold as the floor. He tried to clear his vision a little, focusing on Butch´s eyes as a point of his entire world. Neither of them was speaking, maybe because the emotions they saw on each other´s faces were too much to give them a proper name.

In V´s case, it was a fucking relief in the first place – relief of seeing his cop alive and well, breathing and with beating heart. Then it was that extremely painful feeling crushing his chest as he remembered.

The sudden touch startled him, but he didn´t flinch. It was gentle and comforting, starting on his cheek and following a path down to his jaw. His mouth made up a small smile as an answer, hoping that it could be a sign of him slowly coming back. Maybe cop didn´t eat this. V didn´t understand why then Butch´s expression looked so damn painful.

"You cried," he said with a broken tone like it physically hurt him to pronounce the words. It was an uncertain mix of anger, frustration and softness. "It was me, right?"  
When Vishous didn´t immediately answered, he asked again. "You dreamt about me?"

Staring in those brilliant chocolate eyes, V realized that if he decided to spill it all out – everything what he saw – Butch would listen. Fuck, he would listen. Even despite the fact that the knowledge could destroy his life and never let him close his eyes again in a good night sleep. However V could never do such a thing to him.

He´d thought it´d been only in his head – his eyes had to be red, because he certainly felt like it. He tried to cover his face ashamed of this breakdown, only Butch didn´t let him.  
"Don´t," he whispered. And it wasn´t "don´t be weak" but more like "don´t hide from me."  
It was impossible for him to remember the last time he cried for real emotions and not because his body had betrayed him while being hurt by any bearable limit.

Some long seconds passed after which cop somehow knew he needed his space, he got up reassured V was back to his senses at least to the functioning point.  
"I´ll wait outside. You ok?"  
He gave him his dignity and privacy to collect his shit before V could actually shatter to pieces and it was all he wanted him to do in that moment.

He stood up, slowly, testing his stability before walking anywhere. The headache was by the time almost gone and he hoped it would stay this way.  
Next thing he did was to lean over the sink and get rid of the unpleasant taste in his mouth skillfully avoiding looking to the mirror. He was more than sure he didn´t want to know what was there looking back at him.

Vishous didn´t open the door until he was really ready and even then – seeing Butch standing there with his hands on his waist, calmly waiting – he couldn´t suppress the need to just scream until his throat would burn with pain. Everything came back to him in a tiny second crashing that little peace he´s just gained. He had cop´s corpse before his eyes lying on the fucking ground with open eyes and no life in them. He´d felt his last breath and the last beat of his heart. After that everything had fallen to darkness like the world without him had had no meaning at all. And well… it hadn´t.

"So?"  
V knew what he was asking about even when he didn´t set a question.  
"Both of us?"  
Vishous nodded.  
"Together?"  
He shook his head. "No."

Butch held the gaze for a little longer, suddenly sighing and grinning like it wasn´t his damn life what they were discussing here.  
"Well, I guess that would be too much to ask. Too romantic."  
In a different situation V would pick up on his last sentence and make a joke perhaps, but not now. Not now.

"Tell me I´m the first." Butch pleaded with a real raw emotion in his eyes.  
"You know I can´t."  
He didn´t try to persuade him, because he had to know how hard it was for V to bear it alone and cop didn´t mean to doubt his hard decision. V wasn´t sure if he could fall for this man even more.

Instead of asking for something V couldn´t do, Butch only moved closer with a small sparkle in his capturing eyes. "We are still alive, aren´t we?"  
What do you want? This was the question forming in V´s head while noticing cop´s change of attitude and also the one he didn´t realize asking out loud.

The man was really close, but at the same time keeping a distance like all he wanted was to press against V´s body till there´s no space to take a proper breath, but still waiting on some hint to do just that. What a fucking waste of time…

"I want," he finally started, expressing the most simple and truest wish they both shared, "to enjoy every moment I have." His look burnt. "With you."  
"What else?" V dug deeper, feeling the sudden heat of emotions blazing in the air, reminding him both of them standing in the storm – every step was a danger, but also moving was the only way how they were able to survive.  
Butch was right in his face. His breath tickling Vishous on his goatee.  
"While we are still here."  
It wasn´t all he wanted to say, that was painfully obvious. "What else?"

Butch took a deep breath. His eyes reflecting something strange and wild. A decision maybe…

"I want you."  
Ok, he thought he had his best options all counted. Fuck…  
V swallowed whatever pleased sound was forming in his throat. "How?"  
"Naked."  
Uhm…  
"In that fucking bed, right now, I want you to know we are alive, that I´m here with you…" Butch had to catch his breath to continue. Good choice. Because V would definitely remember those next words for a few hundreds of years or maybe all his fucking years…  
"I want you to kiss me right now. I want you to touch me like only you can." He leaned forward, whispering in a way he was passing a secret.

"I want you inside me, brother, I want you whole, every piece of you, do you get me?"

* * *

Thanks a lot for sticking to this story after such a long pause! :) I´m clapping to you and love you. This chapter is dedicated once again to Twin, one of the best encourager and supporter I´ve ever had. Know that it´s also thanks to you I´m able to sit down and write. :) I´m deeply sorry for not replying to your last comment, but well... actually I did, but somehow my computer decided not to save it and I´ve discovered it just now. Give kisses to your sweet "gorillas" from me. :P You have really a lot of to be proud of. PS: Happy thanksgiving for you as well. :P E.


	31. Chapter 31

_* this chapter is devided into three parts, I highly recommend to play this_ _song_ _along reading the third one:_ _watch?v=Yw3VkhTrK50_

"Lethre, come on, come drink with us."  
"You deserve it man, how many have we beaten today, Traum?"  
Another slightly drunken voice laughed. "Hundred? Two hundred? Maybe thousand as far as I´m concerned…"

The man sitting alone in a close distance to the group to hear their self-praising speech looked up from the paper he was holding. The ink was still wet from his handwriting.  
"Eighty-six actually," he pointed at the paper, "I have it counted."  
"You always do, man," the biggest guy with bald skull and warm smile grinned back at him, waving with his drink, "leave it for the morning."

Lethre moved his eyes back to the letter, adding the seal on the top. He grabbed the knife from the small table he was sitting at.  
"Comes the worst part, right?" Marhen shook his head disapprovingly. "What that´s even good for?"

Lethre didn´t answer. He wanted to have it behind him as soon as possible and go to drink with the rest of his friends. The knife slid across and into his palm, releasing few scarlet drops of blood on the paper. It wasn´t painful, but hell it was kinda sick to cut yourself three times a week, even more when you got injuries from fighting to deal with first.

"I heard it´s because the king´s secretaries can detect the blood, so they have guaranteed that the later was really sent by us."  
"Guaranteed my ass, Marhen," the blonde male with huge soldiers and dog beside his feet didn´t try to hide his disagreement, "they are just real weirdos having blood kink."  
"You know how are the men calling you, Lethre?" It was Traum again, waiting patiently till the addressed man approach the main table and took a drink from his hand.  
"How?"  
He sat down heavily, leaving the stress and exhaustion to show on his face for the first time after they had returned to the camp.  
Traum grinned wildly. "Bloodletter, man. They call you Bloodletter."  
"Because you send so many letters," Marhen spoke up, "no other leader sends so many, no other units have such big scores as we do. Hell, you didn´t lose a single man in three years."

Lethre gave his men and friends a tired smile. "I have to mark this moment. You all complimenting me."

"I´m not," Corne corrected him immediately. "I´m just saying… well, I praise Scribe Virgin for getting me stuck with you."  
"Yes, that´s complimenting, Corne.  
"It´s not."

The men laughed and took their glasses to refill. They sunk into all forms of small talk about casual things as who is going to make breakfast and who´s cleaning in the morning. Corne had lost his precious hunting knife and became irritated when someone mentioned it, maybe Traum and maybe he did it on purpose. But all of them went silent as Marhen started to speak about his family. He was the only one with shellan and kids waiting for him, also the reason why he often got frustrated why he was never in front when the battle began.

It was very easy and mind-soothing to listen to his stories and jokes, but when he talked about his family, it was even more relaxing.  
"What about you, Lethre? How is your lady and the little princess?" Marhen asked him when he decided it was enough of him only talking.

Lethre visibly tensed when the topic has changed and actually included him.  
"I haven´t seen them in a while. You know about the disease, it´s dangerous to wander around. I made her promise me she won´t leave the house."  
"And you can´t visit her because…?"  
"Don´t be an idiot, Corne, you know the rules of the camp," Traum interrupted.  
"Sure, but well, you´re the captain…"  
"One more reason why I shouldn´t."

Marhen frowned at him. "You´re still thinking about how to make it right, aren´t you? The ceremony and all those things coming with it."  
Lethre nodded. "I like them to be mine according to the law just like they are in my heart. But I still can´t find that bastard so he could release her in good conditions."  
"You think he would, even if you found him?" Traum asked interested.  
Lethre couldn´t stop the growl: "I would make him."

They went quiet for a moment, before Marhen spoke again wisely.  
"You are a fine warrior and a good leader, cherished and loved amongst the men, why don´t you ask for an audience with the king and request an exception. Now is the best time. You deserve it."  
"Yeah, man, how old is your little girl anyway? Five years old? She needs a proper family and your name to stick with her."  
"I pity the man who will once want to marry her."  
Lethe grinned dangerously. "No one will pass for that long, don´t worry."

They shared one more chuckle and sip of the wine while the fire burned the wood causing familiar noise calming them all.  
"I need to piss." Corne stood up with a grimace after a moment of heavy silence, deciding the end of the discussed matter for now. They knew it wasn´t just as easy as it looked. No one could offer more than an advice.

Lethre let Marhen to refill his glass one last time before he would have to go to the main tent and leave the letter there and then throw himself in the bed. He quickly looked over his left hand, which was covered in thick layers of bandage after he´d got cut with a knife of some sort two days ago. It still hurt like hell, but seemed to be healing just fine.  
"You good?" Marhen moved the full cup in front of him, sending a concerning look over the same spot as Lethre did.  
He nodded. "Still hurts like hell," he echoed his thoughts.  
Traum shook his hand. "What a flower here…"  
"Shut up," both of the men shouted at the same time, revealing a small smile towards their big-mouthed friend.

"Hey, look, who I´ve found!"  
Corne´s high voice cut more of the threats any man could utter as he walked into the warm light with a woman holding onto his arm, like they´ve just walked into a ball room. Lethre focused on woman´s features in the dark. As soon as she smiled at him his heart sunk to his stomach.  
"Camilie," he found himself whispering in disbelief. His body moved without him really thinking about it, approaching her, wrapping his hands around her slim figure and letting his head rest buried in her neck, breathing in the familiar sweet scent of his beloved mate.  
"What are you doing here?" he asked, not able to get angry despite she so clearly disobeyed his instructions to stay at home, safe. He didn´t want to let go of her so soon, but he had to look at her, assuring she was well.

She smiled at him again, mischief played in her eyes. "You know me. I´m no good soldier. And before you ask, Meira is with my mahmen. I wouldn´t let her leave the house."  
That were good news, despite the fact he yearned to see his daughter, he wouldn´t want to endanger her by any meaning.

"So much for our women listening to us, when we want them good," Marhmen groaned from the table probably imagining his own shellan doing the same thing if that would be possible in the current situation.

Camilie waved at him, laughing. "You adore that stubbornness in us, don´t try to deny it, Marhmen."  
"Yeah, that´s true," he admitted, but still shaking his head. "Let´s get out of here boys, leave them their sweet time." All of them stood up almost at the same time, smirking, leaving one by one with knowing looks.

Suddenly they were completely alone and Lethre grabbed Camilie´s face without any further warning and pulled her into the kiss, making them both breathless at the end of it.  
"Wow, I missed you too, nallum."  
He didn´t catch into the playful tone, instead he looked into her dark eyes, still pressing his palm to her cheek as he asked: "You alright?"  
"Yes, I am."  
"What about your village?"  
She sighed, like she knew she will make him even more scared after her words.  
"Some women are sick, two of them died a week ago. No men. We still don´t know why. But doctors appeared and took some samples, claiming they are going to fix it whatever it is."  
He frowned, but said nothing.  
"I know it´s a risk, but I had to see you."

Lethre´s face warmed up a little after hearing the innocent confession.  
"I miss you so much." He pressed their foreheads together, closing his eyes for a brief moment.  
"Meira was angry at me, because she couldn´t come. But she sends you this."  
Lethre took a small wooden box from Camilie´s hands, opened it up and smiled, when he saw dried herbs inside. It smelled good.  
"It´s for the pain." She looked him over with narrowed eyes, stopping at his bandaged hands. "She probably knows all you do here is to drink yourself to sleep, when something hurts."  
"Such a smart girl." He grinned. "Like her mother."

Camilie still looked worried enough not to tease him back – her normal reaction, when he complimented her.  
"You´re good? Have you seen a doctor?"  
"Yes, I have. Boys wouldn´t let me slip out."  
"Thanks Virgin for them."

He pulled her closer, taking her into his arms with a small box still in his hand.  
"I´m worried sick every night," she admitted, "wondering if you´re still alive, if you aren´t hurt or in pain or…"  
He hushed her gently with a kiss. Moving his lips on hers tenderly and slowly not rushing anywhere.  
"That´s probably the best way how to shut me up, right?"  
He took in her smell, nodding.  
"How long, Lethre?"

He knew what she was asking about. It was the old question never leaving their minds. How long they´ll be living like this?  
"I thought about going to the capital," he started carefully, noticing her freezing at the place, eyes widened. "I wanted to tell you later after the winter, but with so many people sick around, I don´t want to risk staying here any more than it´s necessary."  
"You´re serious?" she asked hopefully.  
Lethre moved his hand on her cheek.  
"Yes. I want to go next month after the main battles are over, I can´t leave them here in the middle of the war."  
She nodded, understanding.  
"We take Meira, pack few things and set on the road, should be there in two days. I´ll ask the king for an audience," he repeated what Marhmen suggested just a moment ago. "I hope he´ll let us have a ceremony and get a normal life."  
He couldn´t imagine Meira growing up like this, set aside from Glymera just because of him.  
"You want that, really?"

Lethre tensed, confused. "Why are you asking that? Of course I want that. I promised you. I love you. Now is the best time, we´re doing good, so…" He noticed Camilie smiling and not really paying attention to his words. He frowned.  
"What?"  
"You said you love me."  
"What?" he asked again, confused. "Yeah, I did. So?"

Camilie´s smile grew bigger. "That´s the first time you told me."

Lethre stop dead, wondering, if it´s true. How could he never tell her? It was all he could think about for years.  
" I love you too," she whispered back, closing her eyes as she kissed the corner of his lips, making him feel all weird inside just with those four simple words.  
"We should say it more often."  
"Yes, we should," she agreed.

They watched each other, both absorbing the moment, which was only theirs. They could stay like that for eternity and it wouldn´t be enough.  
"You have to go," Lethre said, not really sure who was he trying to persuade.  
"I´m already here," she protested, "why not to make it worth the journey?"

Lethre sucked the air loudly into his mouth. "Don´t tempt me, woman." She gazed at him, blinking with her dark eyes and smiling knowingly like she could already see him naked, on her, in her, making love. Right there, on the table, on the ground. Holding her tight against his strong body. Kissing her senseless. Leaving his scent all over her, so no other man would even look her way.  
And he would be damned if he couldn´t see it too.

OOO

Fuck.  
He got him. He owned him. His very soul, mind and body probably without even realizing what it actually meant or how dangerous it could be.

Vishous would do everything for the man. He could very well walk onto the other side and beg his mother on his knees to save his cop. Maybe he would hate himself afterwards, never again looking in the mirror, but it would be a burden he was prepared to take anytime, any day.

In this very moment, when Butch was leaning to him with burning eyes, slightly sweating and trembling from the fear and expectations, offering himself, V realized with horror that he could never let him go, not willingly, not without a fight. But maybe, just this time, no fight was needed.

"You sure?" he muttered, his face so close to Butch´s that their cheeks rubbed together with his mouth moving.  
"As sure as a man can be."  
V couldn´t wait any longer. He pressed their bodies together, kissing Butch hungrily, his hands everywhere they could reach, making him arch back, so he had to grab on V to maintain the balance.  
They held onto each other for a dear life, fighting over the kiss for minutes, deepening if when Butch tilted his head to the right angle for V to move his long fingers to his neck and jaw.

Vishous felt the rush of pleasure and excitement run through him as he heard cop moan to his mouth, which were next moment captured again. Butch´s hands rested on his lower back, running under the T-shirt in attempts to roll it up. V wanted it too. More skin, more warmth. More Butch. He pulled away a little to throw away his T-shirt, finding cop approvingly smiling.

"Too much fucking clothes," he whispered, embracing V once more, taking hold of his hair while V mapped the trace of his neck with kisses and small bites. Butch groaned loudly, not caring who might overhear outside of the room. They were both hard already. And Butch´s smooth moves against V´s crotch didn´t really help with control.

"You have to stop right now, if you don´t want to fuck with me." He uttered the warning despite the feeling that they both were far beyond the line for returning. The air around them was filled with the smell of cigarettes, whiskey, aftershave and hell, two bonding scents reaching V´s nerve system like a tornado. It was undeniable and… fucking hot…

"I want to take you to bed," he growled frustrated about Butch being still dressed so much.  
"Do it." V moved his hands on Butch´s ass, lifting him from his feet while he kissed him messily. He had this idea that he might like it – being carried and tossed around a little, not having it all under control and he was pretty much right. Butch let him handle him roughly, taking V´s weight and actually pulling him closer, after they were both settled on the large bed. Although Vishous would never hurt him, he knew that cop could take some things harder. He seemed to enjoy it so far. Having someone equally strong topping him, forcing the air out of their lungs with kisses and bodies crashing together.

"God, V, I want you so much it scares me." Butch´s eyes were feverish slits, when V continued rubbing their groins together in small circles, his head tilted back leaving the fine spot for V to take with his mouth. Hell, he felt lightheaded, edges of his vision blurring in fire.  
"Take it off," Butch encouraged him. The next second another T-shirt ended on the floor. Vishous moved to stand on his hands – one crushing down cop´s palm against the mattress above their heads and other undoing whatever security system Butch had on his pants.

He got quickly frustrated with the damn thing. Butch´s sweet grin from under him making it only worse.  
"Need a help?"  
"No."  
"You sure?"  
"Shut up, cop, or I´ll make you."  
He saw the dare right there playing on his face and V could pretty much imagine how hard it was for Butch not to continue in teasing despite the danger. Finally he managed to get rid of the rest of their clothes, feeling no longer like he´s going to have a stroke any time soon.

They were both sweaty from the work and passion and who knows what… Butch´s skin was shining in the dim light with all shades of pink and red.  
He was beautiful. So fucking beautiful.  
"Turn down, cop," V growled tempted by the sight and adding a miserable "please" at the end. Cop´s eyes widened a little before he gave him a reassuring smile, but still V felt like he needed to kiss him once more, easy and gentle.  
"Don´t worry. I´ll take care of you."

With those simple words the expression wiped away from cop´s face and dear god… he turned on his stomach, hands sprayed under the both sides of the pillow, back and hard muscles tensing under V´s eyes. He even parted his legs a little to fuck with V´s brain.

He had to take some time to absorb the image.  
"You are aware that you´ve just used a curse containing "God", right?"  
Butch´s verbal poke caught him unprepared. "What?" … "Oh, yeah, I think." Did he say it out loud?

He heard Butch laugh nervously and then realized that he needed to have him relaxed before they start anything. No matter how turned up both of them were, it would be worse if Butch was tensed.

He leaned down, his fingers curling with cop´s while he hid his face between Butch´s shoulders, slowly kissing and licking the stiffness out of his body. The pleased sounds cheered him enough to trace every spot on his back to his ass, feeling Butch shifting against him like a flame. He patiently waited on the moment when Butch found out that his mouth was replaced by roses he´d grabbed from the nightstand – taking the same way, up and down his body, leaving the small thorns out of the way and hiding the closest to cop´s exposed skin in V´s palm.

Well, at least the small stabbing pain helped him concentrate on Butch´s moaning through his heart trying to pound its way out of his chest.

He let the flowers slip from his fingers onto the floor, when he decided it was enough of the torture for both of them, surprised by Butch´s disagreeing cursing following after.  
"Careful, those are supposed to be mine, asshole."  
V chuckled against warm skin. "You ok?"  
Butch nodded. Where did all that patience and courage come from, V had no idea. But he knew he could take it easy, if that was what Butch really wanted.  
"Just don´t freak out."  
He rested his palm against cop´s hard ass thinking about how he liked him doing squats in the gym from now on. Then he slowly followed the way between his buttocks, stroking the entrance lightly with the tip of his fingers. There were some insane noises coming from Butch´s mouth along, which couldn´t be identified because of him muttering to the mattress and not willing to raise his head.

Vishous left one hand on cop´s hot body.  
"I´m gonna prepare you a little bit, ok?"  
"Ok."

Just don´t hurt him. Don´t fucking hurt him. Holy shit… he worked one of his fingers inside really easily, not expecting it going in so smoothly. Butch´s little muscle closed around, swallowing.  
"Is that good?" he asked never expecting more groans from his lover at the moment.  
"Fuck. Go on," Butch hissed from between gritted teeth, either because of the pain or pleasure or both.  
One more slid inside, working Butch more open and ready.  
"I can take it, V. Just… shit… ugh… fuck me already."

Despite the command, he took a little more time before he let his fingers slip out. Suddenly the whole moment finally hitting him – what were they doing and how much he wanted to remain like this forever.  
"Fuck that. Move on your back, cop. I need to see your eyes."  
It wasn´t any random choosen on his damn table. Anonymous and at the end of the night gone. He wanted to look at Butch´s face while he was with him, he wanted to see all the emotions running through his face, his tension and eyes rolling up when he touched the right spot. Would it be a good position on his back for the first time? Maybe not. But less pleasurable? No way.

Butch did turned, tipping his hips, knees spread giving full access to whatever V planned on doing to him. And Vishous was… well, stunned.

He never let his eyes slip away from cop´s face as he gripped his hips from both sides and maneuvered himself on the spot, carefully leading his cock inside, millimeter by millimeter, watching out for Butch´s reaction. His eyes were wider and brighter, breath coming out in gasps, but all of a sudden he relaxed and V pushed inside. He was there. Right inside his lover while they were both shaking and losing their minds.  
He started to withdraw slowly, giving Butch time to adjust to his size.  
"Jesus, V, you´re huge." Cop swallowed hard and licked his lips.  
"Want to take a break?"  
"Fuck no. Don´t stop."  
Butch pretty much shocked them both, when he wrapped his legs around V´s back, changing the angle for easier access. V maneuvered above him, giving a gentle bite at his shoulder as he stroke forward again, slowly, letting Butch catch his breath after each thrust.

He felt like his IQ was dropping down on the floor every time he moved inside his man.  
"Jesus, V…" Butch moaned or maybe both of them at the same time. V pressed his forehead against cop´s letting him exhale curses right into his mouth. He mapped his lips slightly swollen from kissing and biting, Butch´s cock brushing against his belly driving him nuts in a meantime.  
"You can… harder…" Butch closed his eyes for a moment to focus. "I like it."  
"Open your eyes, cop. I´m right here."  
Hell, he did. They were wet and shining and one single tear escaped from the corner, when he looked at Vishous.  
"Does it hurt?" He almost fucking stopped right away.  
"No… anymore… just… I can´t… help it."

He seriously wouldn´t believe him, if every pause between his words wasn´t filled with pleased sounds. But it was. So V trusted a little faster and deeper each time, letting Butch dig his fingers to his back, encouraged by cop´s rambling words he whispered or yelled against his shoulder. They found a perfect rhythm, colliding together, sound of their skin slapping filling their heads. Their limbs buried into each other, cop´s hands in his hair- pulling then on his face and back… and in the hair again.  
"Fuck, cop, you´re so tight. You see what I´m doing?"  
"Ughmm…"  
"You see what I´m doing to you? Say it."  
"Damn," Butch gasped, "you´re fucking me senseless. And I fucking love it.

They were both wet and messy, out of breath and out of control. V reached for Butch´s erection between their bodies, stroking it in a same hard and quick way as he was sliding inside and out. Butch´s hold tightened around his shoulders, so he wouldn´t move away with crazy pounding.  
They stayed like this for only few seconds, when Butch´s harsh voice cut the air: "shit, no, sorry, I can´t stop it, fuck…"

He threw his head backwards, leaving one hand on V´s neck to hold onto something, groaning and begging as his cum splattered their bodies. His whole body stretched riding the feeling as long as possible. And hell, V felt like he couldn´t hold it any longer after witnessing this. The remains of his control were wiped away when he moved his eyes down where their bodies were meeting, where his scars and tattoo disappeared into his lover. And next moment he was emptying himself inside Butch without having even chance to say something or pull out. He shifted, but wasn´t able to move while his body trembled with pleasure.  
"Fuck, V, you… damn…"  
He should have managed to get out a sentence or two – apologize, but all he was capable of was giving him: "sorry," waiting until his heart stopped beating so fast and so he could breathe again. Butch looked back at him confused. "What?" He mumbled, smile sneaking to his handsome face.  
"I´m sorry. I couldn´t…"  
He seemed to get it.  
"No way, V. I, Jesus… I may com again from this feeling. I´m so full… It goes down my thighs… feels so good… weird and good…"  
The smile wasn´t going anywhere and it was catchy. Seeing Butch lying there, happy and exhausted, with sticky skin and their cums on him, it almost made him go over the edge again.  
V finally let his hands fall on the mattress and his body next to cop, leaving his palm rested on Butch´s chest – not embracing him in a case he needed a space to chill out.

They watched each other for a moment, absorbing the feeling, until Butch cuddled his way into V´s arms, pressing his nose against V´s neck.  
"I´ve never felt something like this before."  
"You liked it?"  
"Hell yeah," he smiled to V´s salty skin. "Little painful on the beginning, but I guess it will be worse tomorrow. I seriously don´t want to get up from this bed like ever."  
"I can move the table against the door, hide us here," V suggested, really tempted by the idea.  
"No," Butch looked like he was weighing his options, "I don´t want to release you."  
Hey, why his heart jumped happy while hearing this?

"I´m so sore. Good sore. Sticky too."  
"Want to get a shower?"  
"No. Want to cuddle." If that honest confession had surprised him, he haven´t let Butch know. Not that he could imagine something better to do.  
"You feel alright?"  
V tensed, realizing what was Butch asking about. "If I´m going to receive such a treatment every time I throw my guts up, I´ll let Wrath cook for me."  
"No, asshole, I´m serious." But he was chuckling, so much was obvious.  
"Feeling a lot of better, Butch, but you know you didn´t…"  
"Have to do this?"  
"Yeah."  
He lifted his head to find V´s eyes. "Oh, but I wanted to." One corner of his mouth went up in a smirk. "for some time now."

Butch felt the need to assure him that what´s just happened between them wasn´t only a result of simple comforting V or god forbid – pitying him. No. He knew what he was doing. He knew how much he wanted to do it. And it was worth every moment of fear he´d experienced before.

He continued to watch V´s face, wondering how he deserved the man in the first place. Tonight he´d received something what no one had had before him. He couldn´t be happier.  
"I think I might…"  
"I love you."  
Butch froze, his eyes widening. Did he hear it? Or was he just imagining V´s mouth moving? No, he definitely heard it. His chest ached from missing few important heartbeats.  
"I…"  
"No," V put his fingers on Butch´s lips silencing him. "Don´t answer. I just wanted you to know. You don´t have to say anything in return."

But hell he wanted. Butch has never thought about the words, because he simply hasn´t considered them necessary to deal with in the moment. But now, when he heard V to say it first, he felt like jumping to the moon and back. The reply had come to his mind naturally. Like he always knew, but now didn´t fear the words. But in the same time he was also superaware that if he said it now, Vishous wouldn´t believe him. Because of the vision and oh god… actually fucking… and V considering him out of his mind – which he was, but not in that kind of way…

It was hard to formulate an answer, which could be possibly accepted as a truth. But the fact he didn´t see any disappointment on V´s face, encouraged him. He really didn´t expect him say anything in return.  
"Thank you for telling me." V nodded, not showing any form of sadness over it and letting Butch kiss him gently. "And thanks for the amazing sex." They both laughed on that, curling together again.  
"You´re welcome, cop. Anytime."  
"You´ll stay with me?" Can I fall asleep and you´ll be here when I´ll wake up? Because Butch couldn´t imagine waking up alone after this… well… experience.  
"Of course."  
"Good." Butch shifted to make himself comfortable. "I guess we eat those spaghetti later…"

OOO

"Where are they?"  
Someone grabbed him by his arm. Lethre was full aware of the fact he was pretty much screaming at the bunch of people who were enough afraid of him not to tell what he wanted to know. He felt Marhmen and Corne standing behind him, restless just as he was, catching their breaths from running and Traum was in front, waving and calling after them.  
"Inside," he shouted and all of the four men marched through the door into the small hall of the house Lethre didn´t recognize.

Traum was quickly talking with a small old woman who immediately glanced his way. Her voice was dry and sad, when she spoke up.  
"We thought she was hallucinating. She had a high fever and was calling your name all the time, asking us to bring you to her. But we didn´t know you´re… She´s moved in the village only recently with her daughter…"  
"Our daughter," Lethre corrected her coldly, "where are they?" He wasn´t interested in any tales or apologizing. Next person who´ll remind him that his beloved woman had been suffering for two days without him even knowing because no one had believed her enough to call for him, would be a dead meat in a mere second.  
"I´ll lead you."

They took the stairs to the basement, two more women moving out of their way, when they saw them, dirty and bloody with dangerous aura flying around them. Lethre entered the small, warm room, where the man stood in front of the fireplace. He approached them, bowing his head respectfully. It looked like he owned the house along with the woman, who led him in there.  
"I apologize, we didn´t let you know sooner, warrior. They are inside," he pointed at the closed door behind him. "You better say your goodbye, I´m afraid she won´t last much longer. She is very weak."

His heart clenched in his chest like he was about to die right there, suffocating. Someone pushed him gently forward and next moment he found himself in the larger room with another fireplace, table with herbs at the wall and two beds on the other side. He moved towards the beds like he was in the dream, falling to his knees between them. His eyes darting from one sleeping figure to the other.

Lethre took both their hands, wincing when he touched Camilie´s too cold almost grayish skin. He put both of them to his mouth, kissing them softly, before looking briefly at his daughter. Although Maira was sick as well, she was still fighting with the disease as he was said. Her young body much stronger than Camilie´s and most likely able to cure itself. He squeezed her hand gently before tucking it back under the warm blanket and turned to his beloved.

She had to knew he was there or maybe felt his touch, because she managed to smile a little and open her eyes. She looked beautiful even tired and sick like she was.  
"You came," her voice was painfully weak and quiet, making Lethre shiver all over.  
"Of course, nalla."  
She tried to focus on his face, frowning a little, when she noticed the shape he was in.  
"You came from the fight?"  
"Yes," he didn´t try to lie to her, he couldn´t. He still had all his weapons visibly attached to his clothes and body. When the messenger had arrived, they´d just returned to the camp. The general had called for him immediately. He´d grabbed his shoulder and said: "hurry and be back, when you´re ready, take the boys with you" with sympathy written over his face. And hell, Lethre had done just that.  
"I´m so tired," she returned him back to present, looking like she might close her eyes again and fall asleep.  
"Then rest, my love, I´m here. I won´t go anywhere."

She glanced at him, not saying anything for a few seconds. "If I fall asleep now, I won´t be coming back to you," she said calmly, tearing the remains of Lethre´s heart with the words.  
"No," he groaned, only edgily realizing how desperate and panicked he sounded, "you can´t do that to me. I can not live without you, Camilie. You can´t leave me. You can´t…"

She was his sun and moon. Everything what kept him away from the darkness. If she leaves him, he won´t make it.  
"Please…"  
"No, Lethre, listen to me," she freed her hand from his to touch his cheek, letting him close his eyes for a second to feel it with all his senses. Like a drowning man, tasting the air one last time before he goes under the water.  
"I need you to survive this. You have to be strong and not to blame yourself."  
Hell, she knew him so well. "You have to take care of our little princess, make sure she´ll be alright, promise me."

He couldn´t talk. His throat was dry and words so hard to get out. He didn´t want to do this. He didn´t want to talk about the future without her, when he couldn´t even imagine one day.  
"Promise, Lethre."  
"I promise," he hissed, feeling something wet running out from the corner of his eye down on his cheek, where Camilie´s hand rested. She wiped away the tear gently with the tips of her fingers, but however hard he tried, it was impossible to stop it. He couldn´t believe he wasn´t dying as well right in the moment.  
"You once told me, you never cry." She pointed out trying for a smile again and Lethre had to smile too, painful quick laugh escaping his lips.  
"There is the first time for everything," he admitted, taking her hand in his once more, squeezing it. He let out a sharp breath and when he looked at her again, she was crying too.  
"Are you afraid?" he asked, helplessness invading his unsteady voice and crashing his soul to dust. He wouldn´t forgive himself, if he let her go being scared from the unknown. He couldn´t even make himself believe, he could let her go at all.  
"I´m not," she assured him, love and acceptance beaming from her eyes. "I lived a good life. Not long. But well. I had you and that´s more I could ever ask for. We created this," she looked sideways at the other bed, although she couldn´t see Maira from that angle.  
Lethre connected their daughter´s hand with hers and the other one he hid in his own. She looked at him with an unspoken emotions written over her face.  
"Thank you." More of the tears came rushing down on her pale cheeks. "Thank you for everything. I love you. Please, take care of him. Don´t let him do something stupid," she laughed weakly and then Lethre realized that the last request wasn´t meant for him. He looked behind his shoulder on the four men standing in the small half circle. They were all nodding, smiling despite the wet eyes and hard emotions twisting their faces.

It was smart to ask them, because they were men of honor, each one of them considering their promises holy.  
He moved his head back, small comforting words already forming on his mind, when he saw Camilie´s hand no longer holding their daughter. Her small fingers slipped away and now both hands hanged down from the beds numb and motionless.

Lethre couldn´t process what´s just happened.

He was still looking into her open eyes, trying to find the sparkle, which wasn´t there anymore, holding her hand, yearning to feel it squeeze back. He found himself whispering words for one long moment, which didn´t make any sense together.  
He pleased. And begged. And called her name. And screamed. And cried. And whispered again. Holding her tightly, kissing her cold lips. Waiting for a response, all over again.

He was burning and dying. And someone was trying to get hold of him, even talk to him. He felt hands on his back and shoulders supporting him, when he swayed dangerously to the floor, still with Camilie in his arms.  
The voices kept speaking to him, but he couldn´t hear it. Because he was burning, burning, burning… It could have been hours or days before any of his friends could really reach for him and drag him back to presence.

"Lethre, friend, you have to let her go. It´s late. The sun will soon come up." It was Marhen. Why was Marhen here? Oh, he came with him… but why…  
"Lethre, you need to take Maira to the doctors in the camp."  
"You promised, man. You have to hold on and keep your word."  
"Come on," Marhen again. "We´ll come back for her at night, ok? She´ll be safe, I swear. Corne stays right here with her. No one will touch her."

He tilted his head towards the voices, but it was hard to see anyone in the blurry room. He felt his hands tightened around the body he held, when someone tried to get it away from him. However the voices kept whispering soothing words and Lethre couldn´t fight their logic, even when he didn´t understand it all. He finally let them drag him up.

"Maira, where is she?" he asked disoriented before his eyes settled on the second bed. Marhen was still talking to him, offering he would take her, but Lethre just shook his head and picked up his daughter to his arms without waking her up.  
"Yeah, that´s it, you´re good, just go on and don´t look around." Marhen was using the formal orders to move him around the room just like he did every time, when Lethre was too injured or too much in shock to do it himself. He was the second in command. Pretty much used to take care of the things. And although Lethre was aware of his manipulating now, his body refused to fight against the habit to listen to the straight order.

Someone held the door for him and he entered the first room with fire and man standing in front of him. He gave him a sad look, but Lethre had no clue why, he only had a feeling like he missed something important and so he continued to the stairs. He almost reached the top one, when it finally hit him. Where he was and what was happening. The men freezing behind his back. Him holding his daughter because his Camilie was dead… He gasped for air as the pain stroke through his chest. His knees wavered under him.  
"Hold on. Keep walking, soldier," he heard another order from Marhen and suddenly found himself nodding. His body reacted on its own, making him move forward even when his mind didn´t follow. He left the house and village. And his heart stayed there.

The camp was unusually quiet, everyone already sleeping or relaxing in the houses or caves. Everyone but two soldiers waiting for them at the main gate, leading them immediately to the doctor´s place. No one asked him anything, when he got there, but he felt the looks of other men on his back. The doctor rushed to him and took Maira somewhere deeper in the house, requesting of him waiting right there. So he did.

It was hard to keep the track of time while being in the dark with only candles and fire to lighten the place over. Marhen sat be his side and Traum took a nap on the other one. Lethre still fought the urge to hold his chest, right where his heart was. The pain was insane. But he was still in a shock and in combat mode and scared to hell for his daughter. In the moment those things stood between him and madness.

He stood up, glancing towards the entrance. He needed to get air. He needed to be alone and let himself fall for the misery just as he should have done three hours ago.  
His movements were quick and without hesitation, but before he could reach the door, something slammed him hard against the wall, pushing him away from the door. Both Marhen and Traum were looking at him wide eyed and terrified.  
"What the hell, man?" Traum burst out. "What are you doing?"  
He didn´t understood. What was the damn problem? His daughter was safe and taken care of, there was nothing he could do, but mourn just like he wanted.  
"I need to take a proper breath, can´t stay here…" he tried to explain. Both men looked him up and down, then after few second of silence, Marhen shook his head.

"It´s a day out there, Lethre, you remember? You´re going to kill yourself." His words were painfully soft. "The air must wait."  
"A day?" He meant it as a question, but at the end it came as a realization. He understood what could have happened if he opened that door just because he was confused and out of order. They saved his life. Again.  
"Come, brother."

They took their previous spots trying to ignore people gazing at them, but none of the two men closed his eyes anymore. Lethre waited. Lost in his mind, but somehow numb inside. It seemed like his thoughts weren´t able to link together and make some sense even to him. He avoided to remember anything afraid he would lose it all in a moment and no one would be able to return him back.

The evening came quickly. They hadn´t slept or eaten, but at least someone forced him to drink a little water. As soon as the sun was out of the sky, the house started emptying. Lethre set alone with his daughter, Traum and Marhen taking guard at the front door. The doctor hadn´t said anything about his daughter´s condition yet. Lethre wasn´t sure if that was a good thing or not. But he kept his spirit high with the thought she was going to be alright, enough not to let the desperation overtook him for the moment.

"I will do anything," he found himself whispering. "I´ll save you. I won´t let you die. You can not leave me here alone. I´ll do anything." He bowed his head, closing his eyes tiredly, feeling the tears streaming down his face once more. He wiped them away. Maira didn´t need to see him broken down like that, when she´ll wake up.  
"I´ll do anything."  
"I hear you, warrior." The unfamiliar voice in the room, which doors hadn´t moved, made Lethre jump from his seat and reach for his weapon, shielding his daughter with his own body. He turned to the intruder, but found no one of that sort.

His jaw dropped and it seemed like he forgot on all the good manners, when he saw a woman in white, glowing and looking back at him with frown.  
"Mother of the race," he addressed her, wondering if it wasn´t his mind playing tricks on him.  
"It is real, warrior. I am indeed here. And I´ll close my eyes above your lack of suitable behavior considering your current situation."  
Lethre immediately kneeled down, taking his eyes to the ground.  
"I apologize."  
"You are forgiven," she said, "now get up. I have a proposal for you."

He stood up, something warm spreading in his chest. Was she there to help him? Could she do anything about Camilie and Maira?  
"I request of you to hear me out to the end and then make your decision." He nodded, not even thinking about interrupting her in the first place. But as soon as she started to explain her offer, he had to bite his tongue not to make a sound. What she wanted was insane. They both stood in silence after she finished.  
Lethre couldn´t find the right words to express what he felt, so when he finally opened his mouth, he shut it again and after few more seconds he shook his head.  
"How can you ask that of me? I haven´t even buried my shellan yet." He didn´t get it. Scribe Virgin was supposed to be good and fair and not to set him in front of two impossible choices. "You´re saying that Maira will die before the morning comes…This is just too much… How can you ask me to choose between her and my shellan?"

"I will forgive you again for your rude words, because I see you are in the shock. But don´t tempt me anymore. This is my offer. One life for one life." Her eyes were merciless. "There is no other way. What do you say, warrior?"  
For the first time he felt like it´s really over. There was no way to get the love of his life back. His existence had no longer meaning and he realized he couldn´t live with this sin on his conscience, just as well as he couldn´t live without it either. There wasn´t any more life for him, but he could save the one of his daughter. Camilie would never forgive him if he chose otherwise.  
"So it is Maira´s life for a life of your son."  
"Our son, yes."  
For the first time in recent hours he felt something strange inside him building. It wasn´t pain, anger, loss or hatred. It was weak and small. And it dangerously reminded him of hope.  
"Why me?"  
"Because there has to be a balance. And you are the right man, the only suitable one."  
Lethre moved his eyes away from her to the wall, thinking. He heard Maira moaning from her sleep behind him.  
"I accept."

* * *

 _Ok, so now few words for this extra-ordinary chapter. :)_

 _I honestly think this is the best thing I´ve ever written. After I was done with the hot scene between V and Butch, I seriously had to take a cold shower! I´m deeply sorry if it maybe wasn´t what you expected, but that, ladies and gentlemen, was my very first sex scene ever - not only M/M, but in general. So don´t be too harsh on me, please. :P_  
 _On the other side if you listened to my advice and played the song along the reading the last flashback to Bloodletter´s past, you maybe or maybe not ended just like me... with damn tears in eyes. It´s harder to hate the man now, isn´t it?_

 _This chapter was just too emotional for me. Too much love, too much pain, too much everything. And I´m really glad I was able to deliver this for you at Christmas time. I know you are now probably a little confused with B´s story line. But it will clear up, I promise. I couldn´t help myself, I had to give the man a personality, his own past and life and what was the most important - the REASON why he was who he was..._

 _I hope you liked it. And now this is my small request. What about you trying to leave me a message here as a present for me in return? I would really love to hear from you, even if you just write your name or simple hello. Tell me what you liked or what you´ve just eaten... whatever. I just want to get to know you, people. And now is the best time to do that, righ? Happy Christmas to all of you. :)_  
 _Don´t forget on my present!_

 _PS: Yeah, my heart also stopped, when V said those three words. I´ve always seen him as a man who could hardly say it out loud. Seriously, I don´t know, why he did that in this chapter and in that specific moment. I just feel like we should enjoy it with Butch, because we don´t know if we will ever hear him say it again. :)_

 _PS2: I want to thank_ **Goddessof Fiction** , my **two anonymous guests** and **Twin** for their sweet encouraging words! You mean a lot to me! :)


	32. Chapter 32

"What´s wrong with him?"  
"No idea, man. We were together just an hour ago and he was completely fine."  
"You found him?"  
"Yes, shit. I wanted to lift some weights. And he should have been here waiting for me. What should we do, Vishous? He doesn´t recognize me at all. He kept calling me Marhen. Who the hell is that?"  
Butch kneeled beside Rhage and his eyes found the man´s they have shared their home with for past weeks.

Lethre was pale and sweating, murmuring something in a quiet whisper while gazing completely through them. He didn´t react on anything they did or said. It was clear that wherever he was it wasn´t there with them. Butch felt knots in his stomach. When he had decided to get finally out of that warm bed, it was supposed to end with him and V and with food. This felt too familiar for his liking. And the only person Butch has ever seen like this was right now standing behind him, calculating their options. But he was good. This was already behind them…  
"He´d fought me a lot before you came," Rhage admitted, keeping his hand firm on Lethre´s shoulder despite he calmed down a little.  
"We should get him to the room with sedatives while he isn´t falling deeper. We don´t know what triggered him."  
Butch gave V a nod. He was right. They don´t know Lethre so well to be sure he wasn´t going to hurt someone when he was out like this. And the gym would be soon full with young boys before their transition.  
"Yes," Rhage agreed too. "Help me."

At least the man was cooperating and moving on his own even when he had probably no idea where he was going. Butch himself has never been lost in the flashback. Never. But he could imagine how bad it could be, when it´s not all pink ponies and meadows with purple flowers waiting for you on the other side.  
"Where is she? Where is she? Don´t take me away. Where?" Hell, this was a shit of hallucination he was going through. Lethre kept trashing around in their supporting hands until he found Rhage´s face. Then he stopped, reaching for him.  
"Marhen, please."  
"Play along, Hollywood," V advised him. "He thinks you´re his friend."

Rhage´s eyes widened, but he started to talk back. And that made Lethre at least move again.  
"Where is she, Marhen?" he asked once more and Rhage helplessly looked on each one of them before answering.  
"Where is who?"  
The fear and pain in the man´s eyes were so real, it was hard to look away and watch the footing.  
"Maira. She… is in the camp. She can´t die, Marhen. She can´t. I´ll do anything…"  
"Shhh… That´s okey. I know. She will be alright. Trust me."  
"Where are we going?  
"We´re going for her. To see her."

It wasn´t Rhage´s fault that the situation got out of hand in the end, it would probably happen anyway and hell, he really did his best. But it was clear as soon as Lethre started to look around that he wasn´t recognizing his surroundings. Thank God for V´s quick reaction.

Lethre was under the drugs and sleeping sooner than he was able to shake the life out of Rhage or Marhen. They put him in the bed. It was the same room where he´d spent his first days after being shot out on the street.

"We stay with him until he wakes up."  
V caught him by surprise, when he suddenly spoke as he checked the man´s vitals.  
"Mannelo´s still not here."  
It was odd that they didn´t see their workaholic doctor around. Butch guessed something or rather someone had to keep him busy. Like V kept him few hours ago.  
"Yes, patrol, fuck… let me know when he wakes up, okey?" Rhage was seriously concerned, maybe enough to not realize it was much more reasonable if he stayed and Butch went. After all he was the one Lethre recognized as a friend. One look from V and cop didn´t help him to come to this conclusion.  
V´s eyes were speaking clearly. He wouldn´t let him go outside with him being stuck in the house. And Butch didn´t feel like he wanted to argue right now. He would act the same way if the places were switched.

"I know that man," he announced few moments later after Hollywood had left. Butch was watching his elegant movements around the bed with fascination for quite some time. He couldn´t help it. And once V realized what he was doing, the corners of his lips went up in the mysterious smile.  
"You listening to me?"  
Butch tried to fight the sudden heat beneath his skin. "Of course. Who is it?"  
He turned to face him and leaned against the railing of the bed. There was a scratch on the side of his neck and Butch´s eyes darted that way immediately – traitors.

"Marhen, I know that man. He was in my father´s camp."  
Butch felt like he received a kick in the gut. His blood went cold the same second he heard about that god forsaken camp.  
"A good guy or bad?"

Vishous didn´t look bothered by him asking, but he could be boiling inside and Butch probably wouldn´t find out if he put in the acting.  
"A good one, I think."  
Cop made some steps towards him. He hated the distance.  
"Is he still alive?"  
"Yes. He contacts me from time to time."  
"Tell me about him." If you want.

V slowly lifted his hand and rested his open palm on the back of Butch´s neck making him come closer. He comfortably leaned into his touch. "Stop with that Darth Vader look."  
"Really? Are we starting with STAR WARS now? You really want that?"  
"You can´t kill everyone who crosses my path," V tried to reason with him, but it was a lost fight.  
"You wanna bet?"

Butch again received one of those special smiles V had only for him and it made him feel all funny inside. He saw how badly V wanted to kiss him, but didn´t, maybe because it would look like he wanted to leave the topic and shut him up instead. Shit, it would probably work.

"When I was in the camp, he was the only person there who stood for me and tried to protect me from my father."  
Butch frowned. "So he has already my respect." He felt the fingers gently stroking his skin.  
"Everyone feared me," he continued, "but they feared my father more. Bloodletter arranged that Marhen was reassigned to another camp."  
That Shit had got rid of the only person who´d stood in his way.

"So you remember Lethre being in the camp? He never said anything."  
"No," V shook his head. "They had to meet later. I never asked him how he knew my name that first day. Maybe this is an explanation."  
"What do you want to do when he wakes up?" Butch asked interested in V´s plan.  
"I would like to use the moment in our advantage and learn everything we can. He´s doing a good work. But we still don´t know who he really is. My mother´s help never comes free."  
"It drives you nuts, right?" Butch teased.  
"It does," he admitted. There was a hint of hesitation on his face before he brushed his lips against Butch´s. It took them both a lot of inner power not to deepen the act.

After they had woken up from the previous events, Butch had suggested that all that hiding bullshit must end. It was the only right thing to do and they both knew it. Much more after that three-freaking-words he´d got from V. Anyway, it didn´t mean that they had to necessary throw themselves on each other all the time – they weren´t schoolgirls, even if he sometimes felt like one. All Butch wanted was to act freely around his family and friends. And so far? No one had given them any shit, not that he expected something else.

"What are you thinking about?" V´s breath tickled him on the cheek.  
"What a bastard you are."  
His eyes sparkled with emotions and one very devilish smile spread across his face.  
"How sweet from you, baby."  
It was Butch´s turn to grin hearing the petname V used.  
"I´m going to use a man´s temporary weakness to my benefit. I may be a bastard, but a clever one, true? So what are you going to do?"

Butch raised one eyebrow. "Isn´t that obvious? Help you." Vishous looked at him proudly, like he expected nothing but this kind of an answer.  
"See, we´re fucking perfect for each other."

OOO  
His awaking was neither quick or sudden. Bloodletter heard the voices in the room, but couldn´t detect what they were saying or who they belonged to. His head hurt and he couldn´t open his eyes for a moment feeling like he might fall back into unconsciousness again. And he knew almost immediately it had to be some drugs keeping him in that state.  
"He´s up."

He fought the exhaustion and blinked into the light above his head.  
"You´re with us?" It was Vishous. And Butch. Both standing beside each other and looking down on him. Down… was he lying on the bed?  
"What happened?" His voice sounded horrible. Like he didn´t drink anything for months.  
"You tell us," Butch reacted to his question with a concerned frown, "Rhage found you, you kinda freaked out, didn´t recognize us at all."  
Vishous interrupted him: "We had to calm you somehow, sorry for the injection."

Bloodletter found himself nodding. "I understand." There was a sore spot on the side of his shoulder, where the penetration had been probably made.  
"So what was it about?"  
That was indeed a good question. "I don´t know. I don´t remember anything," he admitted, although feeling like he should have. His heart oddly ached with stabbing pain, which he suspected wasn´t due a change of his physical condition. He was ok.

Bloodletter moved his eyes on both men. He wasn´t surprised when he recognized they didn´t exactly believe him.  
"Did I hurt anyone?" Butch shook his head and Bloodletter released the air he was holding inside. Good.  
"But you were calling for someone… Maira, Marhen… any idea who they might be?"

He didn´t. His head started to pound on protest as soon as he heard the names. There was again this odd feeling – crushing his chest into dust and to the point he wasn´t able to catch his breath.  
"Hey, you ok?"  
He managed to nod absently. Was he really? He was certainly missing something important.

Suddenly he spotted Vishous getting into his vision, bending in his knees to Bloodletter´s eye level.  
"What do you think it means?" he asked and well, it was hard to resist the urge in his face. "Tell me honestly and we will help you whatever it is."  
Maybe it was risky, but it was a least he could do.  
"I think it´s Scribe Virgin´s doing."

Vishous exchanged a quick glance with Butch and it again amazed Bloodletter how easily the two of them could communicate without any words spoken.  
"Why?"  
"I don´t know." Hell, he hoped his son could see the truth behind his answer, in his eyes and on the frown of his face. He wished he knew… It scarred him that he was somehow manipulated, his memory… How could he know who he was and what to do, if there was a part of him missing completely?  
Butch put his hand on the other man´s shoulder.  
"Just, check him out again."

Vishous looked Bloodletter over. There was nothing wrong with him medically, they all knew it even before tests could prove the fact. However they still called for chosen, who was in the moment in the house and Bloodletter was once more served with blood from her. He thanked her afterwards, meaning every word he said. It was still a great honor, no matter how casual they all saw it.

Butch and V then returned back to his room, stopping him in his attempt to leave with an interesting and terrifying idea.  
"When you were out you spoke about Marhen. V here knows the man. We can visit him if you want."  
"We could go ask Wrath and go now, so we won´t miss the patrol tomorrow."

Bloodletter wanted to argue that the king wasn´t going to let him wander around, but then he realized he won´t be alone and there is a good reason for this request. But did he really want to go that path?  
"You would go with me?" he asked unbelievingly.  
Why? Rhage became his friend. Yes. But Vishous and Butch… They didn´t spend so much time together. But they helped each other. Sure, he could see it in his son´s eyes. He could see it in Butch´s.

He helped them care about the other one, when the one was injured and simply like that he gained their respect, maybe even despite they couldn´t truly trust him. And he wasn´t a coward. Maybe this was the only chance to find out.  
"Good. We should go."

His stomach was a one big knot as he entered a vehicle and let the two warriors drive him to the night – all with Wrath´s blessing. Bloodletter didn´t know how that happend, but something was telling him his son could be a pretty convincing if he really wanted.

They stopped a half an hour later in front of the nice two-floored house, nothing too noble from outside and the same thing counted for the interior. However it felt cozy and comfortable and security was of course on the highest level. Vishous mentioned he´d made sure of that.

A female doggen led them inside the small study. She pointed at the sofa and Bloodletter indeed rather sat down while Vishous and Butch were both inspecting towers of books in the traditional old-wooden bookcase. They spoke quietly and Bloodletter managed to catch a quick smirk on Butch´s face, when Vishous pointed at one of the titles.  
All in all he was really glad his son found a good companion, maybe the best. Hopefully, this was the way the father should feel like when thinking about his children happiness.

Frankly he had a bad feeling for not meeting with Payne again, but Bloodletter haven´t been able to fight his own demons yet and therefore it was wise to take rather small steps. He was sure if anyone should recognize who he really was, it would be her. But hell, they were both his children. And he hurt them…

The big bald warrior entered the room and interrupted Bloodleter´s thoughts as he shook his hand with Vishous and greeted him in old language. The whole time there was this large smile playing on man´s face making him look far less dangerous than he surely was.  
Vishous introduced Butch, who met another firm handshake. Then all three turned towards him and the man´s eyes suddenly narrowed suspiciously. Maybe this wasn´t a good idea.  
"I apologize for a lack of information, but I believe it´s easier to explain personally. Here is Lethre, he hopes to speak with you and maybe gain some answers."

The man – Marhen – didn´t offer him his hand, instead he looked him straight in the eyes making him feel nauseous. Oh, no… this wasn´t happening. He couldn´t just throw away all his effort like that… The man didn´t recognize him… He couldn´t. How?  
"May I speak with him privately?"  
He swallowed hard. There was no way this Marhen didn´t know.  
Vishous and Butch both gave their "of course" and moved out of the room leaving the two of them standing in front of each other in complete silence. A very long moment passed and the big man finally took a seat behind an oak table, pointing with his hand to the single chair opposite. Bloodletter overcame his instinct not to sit. He felt he was being watched the entire time like a small insect burning under the lamp.  
"It is really you?" Marhen was looking at him without moving, without any visible emotion. But there was a hint of doubt in his question. Was it worth to try and lie to him?

He stayed quiet, not sure what to do.  
"It is you."  
The man suddenly stood up. "How is it possible? Vishous told me Scribe Virgin sent you to help the brotherhood. Why?"  
Although he didn´t really know this man, Bloodletter felt an odd peace listening to his voice. It made him want to reply back. How stupid of him.  
"I don´t know what is going to happen, but I´m here to help. It is not a trap."

The man nodded like he believed Bloodletter without feeling a need to question him. But he didn´t move to sit back.  
"You don´t remember me, do you?"  
"I don´t," Bloodletter confirmed.

The man frowned. There was another big pause before he spoke again. "It´s not the first time Scribe Virgin did this to you… This is the only reason, why I´m not telling boys the truth right now. Who knows?"  
"The king."

Marhen finally sat with a serious face.  
"I guess there in no point in beating you bloody then or throw you out of here, when you wouldn´t even know why."  
Bloodletter swallowed a curse.  
"Can you tell me what am I missing?" There was no point in playing games. He needed to learn everything he could before Marhen would change his mind. He recalled the name: "Who is Maira?"

In that point Marhen´s reaction was a mixture of painful expression and hiss. "How dare she?" he murmured more for himself than for Bloodletter, clearly lost in his own thoughts.  
"Maira… she… she was you daughter. And she´s dead."

For a moment, he wasn´t able to process the information. He just breathed in and out, like the person discussed there wasn´t him. It couldn´t be him.  
"How? Why?" His voice sounded strangely broken. It felt so damn real.

Marhen talked about the little girl, who could easily charm you into adoring her completely. About how beautiful she was. He talked about few times he saw them together. Her and Bloodletter. And after that he carefully looked him in the eyes like he was expecting him to fall apart into tiny pieces, which wasn´t so far from the truth.  
"I… did I have… someone?"  
He nodded. "You did."  
Everything in his chest screamed in agony. His bones, his lungs, his heart. "What was her name?"  
Marhen explained slowly. And it took a lot of time. Even when Bloodletter couldn´t connect the picture with his words, it seemed like every other sense in his body remembered and… longed… He trembled. His eyes were glassy and red from the emotions he didn´t understand, but was trying to hold inside. He couldn´t just break down in front of this man, he didn´t even know.  
No, he couldn´t…

"My friend."  
He was so far away in his head for a whole one small eternity that he didn´t even notice Marhen moving in front of him. When he looked up, there was a hint of sad smile on the man´s face. "It´s really you," he said, unbelieving. "It´s you. The man I once knew."

It was shocking to see there were tears in his eyes as well and Bloodletter suddenly realized this person had to love him a lot. Once. It felt so good to stand up and shake his hand, it felt even better when this big hand pulled him into tight embrace.  
"I lost all hope…" Marhen admitted, "we all did."  
"Tell me," Bloodletter gently broke the contact. "Please, tell me everything."


	33. Chapter 33

The two men sat in front of each other. One of them with sunken shoulders and bowed head, the other one with a concerned look on his face. They didn´t speak for a quite some time. Bloodletter didn´t know what to say. Another long moment passed till he found his voice again.  
"So you´re telling me that I made a deal with… with…" he couldn´t choose a suitable title for a being he so despised right now, "with her."

Marhen just nodded like so many times during the last hour.  
"The life of your daughter for the life of her son, yes."  
"But she let her die anyway," he spat out disgusted.

Maybe she hadn´t broken her promise, but she´d tricked him and betrayed him into making him her puppet.  
"She saved her that time, cured her," Marhen continued despite the fact he was repeating himself, "she respected your agreement, but when those evil sons attacked that village and hurt Maira two months later, she didn´t consider this a part of the deal."

Bloodletter hid his face in his hands. "I should have never sent her away. Why did I do it?"  
Marhen made a disagreeing sound. "You had to. The camp was no place for young ladies. And the disease was gone. You couldn´t know."

It all sounded so reasonable.  
"After her death you were angry and broken. There was no way you were about to do what she asked."  
"Did anyone else know beside you?" he asked watching as Marhen shook his head.  
"Only me. You were so angry," he focused on his hands like there were images flashing in front of his eyes right on his skin. "You didn´t want to do that anymore, but she insisted, she made threats. And then she promised you she will make you forget Camilie and Maira, so you could live on without pain from their loss."

"But I didn´t want that." Oh, how bad he wanted to remember even know. That gentle face and warm eyes, that sweet lips smiling on him. His imagination wasn´t so powerful to present him more of what the women he had once loved might looked like. But even this little was beautiful.  
"No. But she would never let you be, she wouldn´t even let you die. So then you…"  
"I took her."  
"Yes."

The sentence was enough to make him feel sick. From Marhen´s speaking, he knew he had had no mercy with her, that it had been more of a brutal rape than anything else. And after that she´d just disappeared, but not for long. The part of the old agreement was that he could have spent some time with his son before his mother would claim him back.  
"She had to keep that promise," Marhen told him, "but you loathed her so much, you swore you would never care for her young and that you would take your anger on him every single day for the rest of your life."

Bloodletter raised his head towards Marhen´s. "Would I really do that?" The person he was back then?  
His smile was very sad and gentle. "Of course not. You were a man of honor."

But she hadn´t trusted him, no… She had made him rather forget everything, committing only a bigger crime be doing so in a hope he won´t ever fulfill his threats.  
"If she hadn´t let you forget, you wouldn´t have done all those things. It was just that fact… that you suddenly woke up and you remembered only pain and anger. You never told me this, but I saw it with my own eyes. You were different. When I mentioned Maira or Camilie you didn´t recognize the names at all and everyone just thought you shut those memories out. But I knew that something had to happen. You treated everyone so bad, not only your son. Your friends started to turn their backs on you. And then you got promoted. Hell, it only made things worse…"

Bloodletter recalled those times very clearly.

"You did horrible things. You didn´t care about your men, you just killed every night like nothing else mattered. When Traum and Corne died, you didn´t shed a tear."

And he destroyed and scarred his own child.

"Stop, please," he wasn´t able to listen anymore. The possibility of him going mad and never ever return to his own mind was too high in the moment.

"Who can I trust then?" he asked more to himself than aloud, turning away from the dangerous waters, he could drown himself in.  
Marhen´s voice was confident when he said "me" like all those years of hatred between them could disappear if they both wished to just like that. "I don´t know what Scribe Virgin wants from you again. Maybe she is really giving you a chance to make things right because of her own guilt, maybe not. But you can trust me and you can trust the king. You can trust your son."

Bloodletter closed his eyes under the heaviness of Marhen´s words.  
"He is a very fine man."  
"I know."  
"But you will not tell him, am I right?"

Bloodletter found Marhen´s eyes. "I can´t. I am not sure if I ever will."  
He understood and it strangely lifted Bloodletter´s spirit.  
"If I can do anything…"

He wasn´t sure what he wanted right now. He just found his old friend, which he didn´t really know. But he was here offering him a helping hand and a comfort of knowing and understanding. It meant a lot.  
"I would like to come here from time to time, to talk. I want to recall."  
He smiled, nodding. "Sure."

Marhen left his seat, stopping for a second to squeeze Bloodletter´s shoulder.  
"But it wasn´t wise to use your real name. Our youngs won´t remember it anymore, but some of us yes."

Despite the warning he just made, his face was clear. "Now I leave you to your thoughts, join us outside, when you are ready, Lethre."

OOO

He was a total mess. Fuck. He couldn´t just stand two seconds beside that bastard and not to look at him like he was the main dish on the table. But V was rolling his cigarette. There was nothing wrong with it, maybe just the way his fingers were playing with the damn paper too fucking much. And then he put it casually between his lips and searched for his lighter in the pockets of his tight jeans. He couldn´t find it.

It wasn´t there, because Butch had taken it from the car.

V´s eyes darted his way and narrowed when he saw the small flame in Butch´s hand. He leaned closer with an evil smile.  
"Something´s telling me this is not a coincidence," he dragged in the poison, his hand resting on Butch´s helping him to shield the fire from the wind.

Cop grinned with all his teeth. "I don´t know what you´re talking about." But he didn´t give it back to him, instead he put the lighter in his own pocket. V´s eyes were watching his movement until they met again and after that neither of them could just look away.  
"You ever smoked, cop?"  
He did. But he stopped. It was a filthy habit running to and out of your valet every day.  
"Not anymore," he said, realizing that their faces were too damn close and hey, his hands were also on V´s hips…  
Butch stopped to think for a moment what would happen if anyone from the house just walked in to this scene.  
"You want to try this stuff? It´s different."  
He wanted to shook his head and laugh his offer of, because there was no way he would go again smoking, no matter how good the stuff was. But that was back then, when he had no idea that V wasn´t thinking about giving him another cigarette. Instead he leaned forward and captured Butch´s lips in a tender kiss. He let the smoke drift out and into cop´s mouth, slowly and peacefully, in the way he wouldn´t end up coughing his lungs out. He felt his friend in the jeans wake up immediately in a quick response, pushing forward so strong it almost hurt. Jesus, whatever V was doing to him it was sensual and hot and fuck… this wasn´t the best place for a smoke sex.

"Ehmm, excuse me…"  
Butch suddenly inhaled too fucking much and he jumped back with violent attempts to get some extra air and not to burn red in the same time. What the hell? Is he some kind of a fortuneteller or what?  
V just stood there, smirking slightly, son of bitch.  
"Are you done?" he spoke to Marhen, who looked nothing more than amused.

Vishous hadn´t introduced him as his partner… or whatever back inside and that was completely fine with Butch. He didn´t need their relationship defined. But the lack of shock on the other man´s face was signaling that he might have known.  
"We spoke and he now needs a little time to collect his thoughts." Marhen suddenly looked miserable enough that Butch found his mouth almost twitching to comfort him somehow. He was this kind of a man who could very easily got under one´s skin.  
"You brought him here, because you guessed he had some hidden memories coming up to the light and you were right. It seems like Scribe Virgin deprived him of his past or rather the very important part of it. He needs to find his own way now, but things he learnt are hard. Don´t push him, if you don´t have to. For the sake of our old friendship, I won´t tell you more."

Butch looked at Vishous, but all he saw on the other man was a silent resign. He really won´t push anymore, if this man asks him not to.

"Tell me, can we trust him? This is the only thing I want to know."  
Marhen nodded. "Yes, he´s here to fight his old demons and past. He is no threat to you as far as I know."

Butch still felt the remainder of the smoke and V´s tongue in his mouth and hell if that wasn´t disturbing. When Marhen turned to him and smiled, he fought the urge to slap himself to his senses.  
"I didn´t have a proper chance to really talk to you until now, Destroyer."  
"Butch is ok," he corrected him. That name had no point when it wasn´t used to scare the shit out of their enemies. He liked it only because it made a really strange bond with V´s name. When he destroyed, there was always a savior standing beside him, making things and him function again – it was the two of them working together, their names working together.

"You were turned into a vampire with ritual not naturally, am I right? And then you were turned again by Omega. What did you do when you were a human?" What the hell… Was this an interrogation?  
"The same shit I´m doing now minus drinking blood." He saw V smiling.  
"Hmm," Marhen held his hands behind his back as he leaned to V´s ear half whispering, "good choice indeed."

He left them soon after and he didn´t return to say goodbye. V explained it was ok, he wasn´t good in this stuff and they didn´t really mind. What concerned them on the other side was Lethre´s ghostly pale face as he walked out of the door and got with them in the car.  
They didn´t ask anything. Actually they didn´t talk at all except for a one polite question, if everything was all right. Which clearly wasn't. They took Marhen´s advice to their hearts and didn´t push. If V trusted the man about Lethre, so did he.

Soon as they arrived, Rhage took care of his patrol partner, visibly glad he was conscious and recognized him for an ass he really was.  
Butch let the keys drop on the table in the Pit, landing head first on the couch. He wanted to turn on the TV, but was actually too lazy to find the damn remote control. V walked in after him, putting of the jacket he was wearing.  
"Wrath mentioned he´s here only temporarily, but I hope he stays. Hollywood got used to him."  
"True," V agreed, "but they hated each other a lot before that."

Butch turned his head without moving the rest of his body, grinning. "Like we did?"  
V´s eyes turned around. "We hated each other like 10 minutes, cop."  
"Yes, but it was more like hate-kill than hate-hate." He watched V walk towards him. "It was intense. Intense hate."  
"Yeah…" suddenly he found himself underV´s hands occupying Butch´s neck and face, his mouth captured in slow kisses, very similar to ones he received outside. "Intense is a very interesting word. You know what else is intense?"  
Butch was super-aware that V´s fingers were on his crotch, squeezing in a one moment and making Butch moan right in his mouth.  
The damn bastard parted away with a crazy smile and moved his effort down on cop´s neck.  
"How… how do you, ehm… do this?"  
How did he make him not able to put a fucking sentence together?

They lost their clothes in a less than few minutes right there on that damn couch. It was small and their bodies had to tangle to fit in. No problem.  
Butch had fought his way on the top. He loved when V let him take control, simply because the trust he gave him in those moments when he was trapped beneath was making him horny as fuck…

It was always so different. He didn´t have to watch himself not to hurt him, not to be too rough. Because those hands he held down were strong and shoulders he leaned on large. The lips he kissed sometimes so gently and sometimes so hungry could endure a bite or two. They liked to give a bite on their own. And those eyes were loving, although he hadn´t heard the confession anymore. They were intelligent, old, caring, sacrificing. They had the whole world hidden in their depths. And they were wild, when Butch kept touching some certain places. They held on the best they could, but then it was just too much and they went closed. The head leaned back, whole body tensed and lips parted taking in as much air as they could.

And Butch kept touching him, first with his hands then with his mouth and tongue, not ashamed that he was so close to the edge only from watching V melt under his touch. It was very easy to be thrown over it once V came back to his senses. And soon enough there were two naked bodies covered in sweat and fluids between them, breathing heavily in each other´s mouth, still so fucking hungry…

That was intense.

OOO

Vishous let Butch sleeping in his bed. The man was so exhausted he didn´t even flinch when V escaped his bear hug. He glanced his way one last time, smiling as he stroke his cheek with the back of his fingers. He was beautiful. Lying naked in V´s bed, that was were he belonged. V couldn´t believe it really worked out. Finally one thing in his life which went right.

He backed out from the Pit quietly. The mansion was sleeping. And tonight it was a real success. They had a meeting with brainstorming their new plan for finding those girls. The thing was getting on everyone´s nerve. And right now, those boys – John Matthew and his friends had heard something somewhere about the matter. It wasn´t a definite lead, but it was a better plan than going around the streets and beating the shit out of the shitholes until they finally spill something. So far they had only luck for the stupid ones. All this kidnapping had to concern only small circle of people, otherwise they would have surely be over it now.

After the meeting they had had a dinner and it was good to see Lethre there looking a lot of better. It felt even damn better not to watch himself all the time around the cop.

The first fact was actually the reason why he´d sneaked out of the warm bed in the first place. He needed to talk with Lethre and he was glad, when he found out the man wasn´t sleeping yet.

He couldn´t quite hide his surprise upon V´s visit.  
"Hey," he stepped to the side, indicating him to get his ass inside. When they both sat down, he asked confused why he was there and that part was rather tricky. V thought about this for a while, but still it took some time to form an explanation. He wasn´t used to ask other people for help or other people than his brothers or just people in general.

"I need something," he started without walking too long around the hot pot. Lethre nodded, not hesitating for a second. "Say it."  
V surely didn´t feel comfortable, but he did his best not to let it show on his face.  
"You may or may not know about my visions and how they work," he waited for a moment for Lethre to confirm or deny the fact.  
"You dreamed about me? That´s why are you here?"  
"No. In fact I dreamed about me," he took a deep breath, "and Butch." He let the information sink in before he continued. He hoped this was a good idea. This man proved himself a lot of times after all.

"I don´t know when, but I saw how. I…" Fuck, this was still hard, with a memory so raw in his mind. It wasn´t something he wanted to talk about, but he had to.  
"I saw myself die with darkness inside. I could feel it in my veins, eating me alive, burning my body. I was suffocating…"

He tried not to get lost, but hell he wasn´t a man of many fears but this kind of death scared him senseless.

He looked Lethre in the eyes and almost thought he saw there something what surely didn´t mean to be there.  
He wanted to be honest with him. If Marhen trusted him…  
"I´ve never felt so much pain in my whole life. I don´t know why I deserved this kind of an end, but I will have to deal with it somehow."

V forced himself to stop panicking.  
"The thing I can´t deal with," he continued "is cop. He… I saw his death in the same vision as mine. That has never happened before. I assume it´s because they are connected, that actually…" he had to look away from Lethre´s face to say those words aloud, "I think we are meant to kill each other."

There was a minute of complete silence, before the other man spoke, clearly surprised. "I don´t understand. I thought you were…"  
He didn´t have to finish.  
"Yes, that is why I can´t tell him. I can´t tell anyone. I wouldn´t tell you, if I had a different choice. It´s too much of a burden."

Lethre just shook his head violently. "That is bullshit." What a nice new word from his mouth, V will have to thank Hollywood for this brilliant expression enriching their conversation.  
He scanned Lethre´s face to find out what had made him so angry.  
"If it´s too much of a burden, then it is for you and not people around you. I wouldn´t even wish those visions upon my greatest enemy."  
That they had in common.  
"What can I do?"  
Hell, if that man was his mother´s spy, he would have to be the greatest actor on the Earth.  
"I need you to save him for me."  
"Your visions can be changed?" There was a lot of hope in his voice, when he asked that question and it made V smile.  
"Not really. But this is different. Like everything around that damn man…" He realized he was smiling even more. Damn.  
"The point is," now his expression really froze, "that I saw cop dying in a… very specific way. He…" V ran his hands through his hair. "Shit…" Just calm the fuck down.

"I saw him killing himself," he spilled quickly. "He was kneeling on the ground, holding a fucking gun and pointing it to his head. Pulled the trigger."

V didn´t described what Butch looked like in that moment. How there were tears streaming down his face and expression so painful he could never imagine seeing it on cop´s face.

"Butch is strong. He had his past. I can´t believe he would do something so reckless without a really fucking good reason. He wouldn´t do that if he thought there was any other option. And he definitely wouldn´t do that, if I was there with him…"  
He knew that Lethre understood what he meant. If he was there, he wouldn´t let Butch to come to this end, unless he wasn´t there anymore…  
"I can´t ask any of my brothers. It would hunt them every day of their lives. And I don´t think that, when it finally happens – and I die - that any of them would be able to recover so quickly to act. But I need someone to save him for me, whatever way possible. He can´t die because of me."

He was realizing that even for Lethre as a man who didn´t know him and Butch for too long this was too much to hear. However he needed him to agree with his plan.  
"None of my vision was ever wrong. But this one… This isn´t dying in an accident or because of the fatal injury. This is his choice. Maybe it´s not possible to change one´s fate, but you can change a man´s choice. You can make him change it."  
"What if I´m not around that time anymore?"

V was taken aback by the sound of the man´s question. "If you´re not, I will have to tell someone else." He waited for the final verdict.  
"I will do it."

He let Lethre grab his arm and squeeze, it felt good, comfortable.  
"Thank you."  
"Don´t. I´m here for you. Scribe Virgin… she sent me here to help you, to save you."

V didn´t find any sign of lie in his honest expression. So this is the reason, they were trying to discover for all those weeks. And he learnt it only after he spilled his garbage first. Let´s hope it was the truth, because it seemed like Lethre truly believed it.

V slowly stood up, feeling like he aged twenty years during the past hour. But this was important, it couldn´t wait any longer.  
"I know that you have tons of shit to deal with yourself, that´s why I´m really thankful for this. I want you to know, if you have anything I can help with, finding things about your past whatever… just let me know."  
V waited until he nodded.

"Maybe my sweet mother isn´t lying after all," he spoke once more as he reached the door, " if you are really here to save me and you save him, for me it´s the same thing."


	34. Chapter 34

He fell into a deep slumber as soon as he´d returned back to the Pit and to the already occupied bed.

He´d found there Butch tossing around clearly searching for V´s body in a vast and cold space and that was really enough to make him grin like an idiot and forget everything for a moment as he´d sunk into the mattress beside him. Cop´s hands had soon found his and his nose had buried itself to V´s chest. Butch´s simple breathing – in and out – slowly and peacefully – which Vishous felt even through the T-shirt he wore, was like a lullaby.

Hell, that simple fact of other´s presence won´t ever stop to amaze him. Still there, nothing has changed, nothing has screwed up, it was real and still there… And no nightmares to hunt him when he closed his eyes, at least none when Butch was around.

Why he then woke up with cop´s panicked face the first thing he saw, he had no idea. Hundreds of questions attacked his foggy mind all at the same time. What could be wrong?  
Did someone break into the mansion? Not likely to happen… Where were his guns?  
Oh, hell, did he speak from a dream he didn´t even know about? What? What?

"What?" he asked this time aloud with no clue what to expect. But cop wasn´t jumping out of the bed and looking for his knives. Nothing of that sort. Instead some very strange noise kept coming from behind the closed door and Butch was just listening with wide eyes, not moving, not talking,

Wheels in V´s head quickly turning… something like… it could be… damn no…  
A picture of Wrath´s dog came up in front of V´s eyes.

Hell, this sounded more like a puppy, not a dog. Some puppy aggressively trying to break into their room or die trying.

"What the fuck, cop? Am I still sleeping or… hey, where the hell are you running?" Butch was outside in a mere second, picking something from the floor, something too happy to see him and he was cursing like a true Irish the whole time.  
"You ruined everything, you idiot," he scolded the animal with a frown, which V didn´t have to see to know it was there. But then cop maybe got bipolar, because suddenly he was apologizing with something like: "didn´t mean to fucking yell at you, don´t look at me like that… V?" He turned to face other man with his hands full of brown moving fur and big eyes.

"This is not the way I wanted you to find out."  
Vishous didn´t want to laugh, because there was something very serious about the moment.  
"You know you´re telling me the way like you cheated on me."  
Cop quite ignored his statement starting to explain immediately. "It´s not really my fault, you know? I didn´t take him, I swear. He was in the car when we came back. I have no idea how." He sounded very sorry and defending at the same time.  
"It was here during the night?" V asked, despite it was obvious. "What do you want to do with it?"  
"Keep him?"  
"Butch…"  
"I mean," he corrected himself, "I want to give it to you as a present. You have to accept a present, right?"  
"Present for what?" V asked really interested.  
"For your birthday, what else?" Butch explained satisfied with his solution.  
"I´m not having a birthday."  
"But you will… eventually."

Wow. How bad did he actually want to have that animal?  
"Cop, is that your secret child fantasy? You´ve never had a dog as a kid?"

Butch´s smile wavered for a second, but then he just rolled his eyes and shook his head, decided to ignore the question completely.  
"Just look at him, isn´t he adorable?"  
Yeah, one of those two certainly was adorable, but hell if it was that puppy devil.

After a moment of nowhere leading thinking V let out a long breath. "Ok, fine, but I warn you, that dog rips, break or interrupts something and I will personally throw it to Rhage´s beast as a dessert, you feel me, brother?"  
"No need for that kind of aggression, V. What about you two get to know each other while I´m going to grab him some food…"  
"You mean us," V corrected him.  
"Eh?"  
"You mean food for us."  
"Yeah, of course. Us," he nodded cheerfully.

The dog didn´t move from the spot, where Butch left him. It was oddly calm for few minutes just looking straight at Vishous. And then suddenly it grinned. V sighed and closed his eyes while throwing himself down on the bed.  
"I´m so fucked up."

That ball of fur didn´t move a muscle, just stared at him the whole time, creeping the hell out of Vishous until cop returned with a bowl of some dog´s food, petting the devil while it was eating. The food kept that animal busy for enough time so they could actually move to the living room.

There they had some proper meal in front of the yesterday red sox game, yelling at the screen with beer in the hand like they always did. Making jokes and cursing when needed. More when the small beast reappeared and found a place on Butch´s lap.

Suddenly in one moment they booth looked at each other and the game, food, drinks even the dog was very quickly forgotten. Or better said, locked in the bathroom.

Vishous didn´t know how much time they had, maybe none, but he couldn´t care less. Not after he found a pair of Butch´s old handcuffs and saw cop´s face when he showed him.

All the things he could do to him while being in his power. All the things he couldn´t stopped from happening.

He knew those thoughts were fucking with Butch´s mind just as same as his.

"I guess we will soon need some safe word, if things keep going this way," cop smirked, but held out his hands without a single doubt.  
"No," V threw him the handcuffs, which Butch easily caught in the air, "they are for me." I trust you completely. I want you to know that. "I won´t fight you, officer, at least not too much…" he smiled and Butch returned it, his mood back at the top.  
"You know, you don´t have to act like this only because I let you fuck me." This probably wasn´t something he should have answered to, not when he heard the metal sound behind his back and felt the cop´s boot spreading his legs against the wall, not wasting any more of their very precious time.

"I think I need to make a full body check first, and no shits, I´m armed."

He sounded like a damn professional, except one thing…  
"Is it common for officers to get hard while doing so?" V asked, keeping his question as innocent as possible.  
Butch laughed darkly behind him, making Vishous shiver all over. "Only when suspects are so damn hot."

He felt Butch lean towards his neck and kiss the skin softly, his brown hair brushing V´s cheeks. He enjoyed the butterfly touch. But then cop turned him over so quickly that V didn´t have time to even fully open his eyes before Butch lifted his hands and slid inside the small circle, which V´s cuffed wrists created in front of him.

He continued in kissing every piece of exposed skin, rubbing his body against V´s to the point they were both crazy with lust. V was prepared for everything. But everything didn´t happen. The pleasure Butch gave him was mindblowing, but it was still only a blow job, he tried nothing further, demanding nothing in return.

"I don´t want a first time happen when you can´t move freely or punch me in the face if I suck."  
If he could fall for that man more, he would in that moment. V still took care of him as well, he fucking earned it. And then helped him to clean up in the shower.

Just as he thought, they were terribly late, when they finally managed to get out of the Pit. It was only the start of their shift and they were already worn out, but shit… in the good way. Butch did his thing sucking two lessers in and Vishous was more than ready to help him get back on his feet for the round two as soon as they are back in the mansion.

The thing he didn´t count with was Butch getting stupidly shot because of him not looking properly where were they going.  
The second thing he didn´t expected was to heal Butch and then collapse into Rhage´s arms.

OOO

"Hey, wakie, wakie, cop. Stop fooling around. Hollywood here. Time to wake up, sunshine."  
Damn. Butch´s head was a one big balloon with Till Lindemann playing a gig there.  
"What… happened?" Most cliché thing he could probably asked, but still a damn important one for him. Because even with Rhage standing above him and Lethre on the other side of the bed, he had no idea how he got in the place. Home. Safe. But why?

He was certainly in Manello´s kingdom, the smell of antiseptic was tearing Butch´s nose apart. Fortunately, he felt whole, nothing broken, nothing hurt too much except the head and his left side – also bandaged.  
Rhage seemed to follow his gaze. "You were shot, cop. Not bad, just a scratch." He immediately checked his side despite brother´s reassurance. "We thought they were gone. You´ve just inhaled the second motherfucker, when…"

Butch suddenly sprung up in the bed making his side throb with hot pain while Rhage abruptly stopped in his explaining.  
"Where is Vishous?" he cried out, already putting his bare feet on the ground."  
"Hey, hey, calm down, lovebird, he´s in the next room, he´s ok." Rhage took a stand in front of him preventing him from running around the place. "Mannelo gave him something to make him doze off and he will probably kill him for that later, but he needed it. You both need to rest and to… you know…"

No, he didn´t know.  
"What?"  
"Well…"  
"Come on, Rhage, spill it out I´m on my leave."

They shared a meaningful look before Hollywood shook his head, pressing his lips together in a frown. "You need to feed, cop. Both of you."  
Huh?  
"You were sleeping for too long, he had trouble to heal you, it exhausted him, Butch."

Yeah, he could remember now. Fighting about the dog, handing V his weapons, again fighting about the dog, leaving the mansion, bullet penetrating his skin, light soaking through his body, Vishous stumbling on his feet before Butch´s eyes closed in the warm bed. Fuck.  
"I need to see him."

But Rhage wasn´t moving. "No, Butch, you need to listen to me."  
"Out of my way, Hollywood, I warn you," he growled amazed by his own emotions taking over the control so quickly. He didn´t want to listen. He wanted to see his man and make sure he was really fine.  
"You better listen to what he has to say, warrior," Lethre´s formal approach left him surprised for the exact one second Rhage needed to start talking.  
"I know what you´re going through, ok, cop? I mean, come on, you´ve been here, when I had this same problem with Mary. And that´s the point. You´re not so stupid as me, so you won´t walk in my shoes, right? This has to be solved quickly. You can´t let it lead you to the point one of you will die because of this. It´s not worth it. It´s ridiculous."

Butch didn´t know what to say on the matter. He understood, he himself thought about it more than once, but it also made him sick to think about feeding from a chosen, who meant nothing to him, even if it was only a natural act. Like eating a hamburger. Yeah… sure. Not so much when he could remember the taste of V´s blood in his mouth after he bit him that night in the bathroom.

"I know Vishous. You must persuade him."  
Butch smiled bitterly, because he got the message behind Rhage´s words. You do it for him, not for yourself. He can get hurt as easily as you and without blood he won´t heal…  
"Just let me see him," he looked into Rhage´s stubborn eyes until he finally stepped to the side.  
"Phury called for Arniel, chosen, she will be waiting, when you´re ready. She will serve you both and expect nothing more."

He nodded. Or maybe not. But he surely stood up and entered the other room limping but fast enough considering his injury. Vishous seemed to be asleep, so he approached the bed silently, sitting on the corner.  
"You´re awake."  
Cop´s lips formed a smile. "So are you."  
"Rhage gave you a speech."

That wasn´t really a question.  
"Yes."  
Both of them were quiet for some time, before V sat on the bed. He was pale as hell. Did the healing really do this to him?  
"Why am I always the reason why you hurt?" He had no idea why he mentioned that in the moment, it just blurted out of him. First he kept pushing him away, then those damn visions, now also healing. Or was the healing always working like this? The energy he received was the one he took away from him?

V just shook his head, placing his hand on Butch´s cheek. "You´re the reason why I don´t hurt all the time."  
Butch laughed warmly. That was so much better than any love confession.  
"You´re hopelessly romantic sometimes."  
"And you like it."  
That was true. However it didn´t help any of their current problems.

"We need to feed," Butch changed the subject quickly. He wanted to be over this as soon as possible, just a simple thought drove him crazy.  
"I know," was V´s simple answer, accepting.  
"But I don´t want to."  
"No."  
"So what do we do?"  
Vishous pressed their lips together, the feeling and sensation of getting so close to each other never getting old. It wasn't a demanding kiss, more like reassuring. Nothing is going to change between them. They are going to feed and then they end up in the bed forgetting. That was the message.  
"You know, if nothing else, Hollywood did it, are we any worse than him?"

V laughed. Great sound. Butch so loved hearing him laugh.  
"Hell no. We are better. When do you want to do it?"  
"The chosen will be here when you feel up to it."  
Butch could see that the brother stayed surprised that everything was arranged while they were out cold.  
"Let me guess. Rhage, right?"  
Butch nodded, smiling. "And Phury, they are worried."  
"So let´s do it, shall we?"

Vishous stood up in his full height, taking Butch with him. Rather to do it quickly.  
"However you first, cop," he said one and half hour later since they´ve left the chosen waiting in one of the rooms upstairs in the mansion. He expected at least "why" from Butch, but he was so out that he didn´t even put up the fight. He just nodded, pulling V to a long desperate kiss before he turned on his feet and walked away.  
Yeah, he didn´t trust himself either. Nor did V and that was the reason why he wanted to go after the cop. At least they were both sure as hell, they couldn´t be in the same room while one is feeding.

Oh, fuck. He still felt like exploding. It was not a big thing. Hell. No. It was the biggest. Fuck mother nature, fuck Scribe Virgin. He should have been the one who would keep his man alive and healthy.  
Vishous was alone in the room, fortunately, because he felt like he could kill only with his thoughts.

He was seeing Butch sitting on the bed, his mouth sucking the skin of the woman next to him, everything steady and under control, until her hands suddenly start wandering across cop´s arms and to his neck, into his hair...  
No.  
This wasn´t going to work. He needed to be there. He needed to... hell... protect him... whatever.

Vishous didn´t quite control his body or head when he was walking straight to that damn room. There was pounding in his ears and strange pain in his chest, and anger, rage... his bonding scent everywhere.  
"Hey, brother, where you think you´re going, slow down, V."  
Oh, fuck me. Big news. Hollywood was sometimes clever after all and took a guard.

Standing in front of the doors, his big body shielding the entrance, he looked like he expected the situation right from the beginning and was well prepared. Or he maybe thought so.  
"You know you can´t fight me. I´m going in, Rhage. I need to be there."

The man frowned. "I won´t fight you, asshole. Because you´re going to control yourself or you wanna hurt that innocent woman inside who want nothing just help you?"  
"I´m not hurting anyone," he fired back almost growling, but froze immediately. Who he wanted to bullshit? In the state he was in he could tear apart a whole alley of lessers while eating a fucking cheeseburger.  
Just a mere thought on what was behind that door made him want to hurt and kill.

"Ok, I understand, trust me, but I can´t let you in. I know what it´s like. You see cop inside and you lose it, that´s how it simply works."  
Hell, he was right. Exactly that was going to happen. But what he was supposed to do?

Just when he thought there was no way how to not screw everything and not to get insane at the same time, the door behind Rhage´s back moved and Butch´s face appeared right there, looking at V with same despair as he felt himself.  
"I can´t do it without him. I need him," he addressed to Rhage calmly although the way his hands slightly trembled gave a hint about how nervous he was.  
He gave one last look to V and disappeared in the room.

"You good to go there?"  
Vishous lied. He had to. However he had no doubt that Rhage won´t move from that door the whole time they will be inside. Vishous welcomed the idea. He gave Hollywood a reassuring nod before walking into the dim light.

The chosen - Arniel, she was dressed in a white rob, long blond hair spread down her shoulders, her smile little uneasy, however her eyes were fearless. She spoke first, giving one look to Butch standing beside the bed and one to Vishous.  
"I know what is expected from me and what is not. And I am strong enough to serve you both. It is my pleasure, warriors."

He heard no lies behind that angelic voice, not even slightest heat coming from the disappointment she had to feel. She understood the situation and accepted it.  
Butch nodded to V to make him sit down, both of them next to the woman, taking opposite sides. For a long moment nothing happened until the chosen picked up her small hand towards Butch´s mouth, inviting.

He gave one last look to V confirming it was alright. It wasn´t, but neither it was that bad or insane as V feared. At the same second as Butch´s lips touched the chosen´s skin, his eyes found V´s and didn´t move until all of it was over. He´d been looking at him with so much passion that it´d been almost impossible not to jump on him right that same moment.

But it was still his turn. V made it as fast as possible doing the exact same thing as cop, focusing on the sparkle in his chocolate eyes, the one which wasn´t there before. He knew his own looked alike when he finished. He only hoped the chosen was quick enough to leave the room before he took Butch´s neck and sunk his teeth into the vein which couldn´t feed him, but kept him alive nevertheless.


	35. Chapter 35

"What´s his name, Butch? They are soooo perfect together. Like really… Look at them… So..oohh…"

The brotherhood was occupying Wrath´s office for no more than ten minutes, everyone on their usual spots, with only Hollywood walking and rambling the whole time, which after all wasn´t so unusual either. The two dogs lying tiredly in the corner didn´t pay him much attention.

At least small furball´s owner reacted to his questions from time to time, when no one else bothered. "His name is Spot. V made this one out."

All eyes immediately set on the named brother expecting some kind of a big story behind it. He didn´t feel particularly sorry for disappointing them.  
"So why Spot, V? Tell us!"  
He sighed. "Because everywhere I fucking look I spot him, Hollywood. Good enough for you?"  
"V´s not a big fan of the dogs, Butch," Phury added with a smile.  
"I figured."  
"Maybe you two should have sorted it out at the beginning of the relationship, so you don´t get to me-or-the-dog point later," Rhage reminded, big grin on his face followed by another set of knowing smiles across the room.

Yes, their thing was no more a TOP secret file stuck with the red label "don´t open or you´re fucked", or at least no one bothered to pretend that anymore. And hell, if that wasn´t easier, not to watch yourself all the time despite Rhage´s stupid jokes. It didn´t really matter how that actually happened or who was the first person quitting dancing on his or her toes around him and cop. It was quite liberating.

V stole one glance at Butch and his lips started to form a smile on their own. He was an addiction. And it was addictive to be happy. The acceptance meant a lot for both of them.

The king made himself known by clearing his throat and greeting them all. He was walking without his dog, but that was fine as he oriented very well in his own office. Lately he was spending there more time than usually and it seemed like there was some kind of bad news behind it.  
"Another girl is missing," he shared the information finally silencing questions and curses with his hand. There was a lot of "when" and "how" and "fuck" until everyone understood what the news meant for them.

"You´re back in the streets full time, no trainings or teaching until I say so." Wrath wiped his tired eyes before continuing. "We thought it was over, we saved some of them, we lost some and we assumed it had to be a rogue group acting on their own. We never caught anyone who knew or anyone who would talk even when we interrogated them…"  
"That´s not really true…" Butch jumped into king´s speech, realizing that everyone was surprised by his rough tone, he as well.

V had an idea what was that about. Cop was really touchy when someone threatened him, more so when it was Vishous standing in the centre of the threat.  
"One of the scumbags once said something about all of us dying and then he said that V is going to be the first one." Butch visibly gritted his teeth when he recalled the memory. "We talked about it with Vishous back then, assuming at the end that it could be their usual bullshit, but more I´m thinking about it now, more it seems like opposite. If it was really about the group of lessers acting on their own without a greater purpose, would they be really so loyal about it? No one would utter a word not even when they were about to die? What do we know about those girls again? They were keeping them somewhere, not caring if few of them died or not. Why to keep them in the first place? What if they planned to prepare a trap, but we found about the place sooner than they could arrange it?"  
"That sounds pretty possible to me," Rhage agreed looking straight at cop.  
"Or maybe we just didn´t catch the right ones," Phury offered his opinion, "but you are right, we don´t know the reason why they took them or why they are taking them now again."

Wrath let his blind eyes settle on each one of them. "Maybe it was a trap, maybe they are more organized than we think and their purpose is to hurt brotherhood. They may failed the first time and now they are trying again. But it doesn't ´t change the fact that we can´t sit here and do nothing. We have to be careful, yes. And we have to search their fucking houses from top to bottom. We have to find clues before it´s too late. No one will go alone, you will stick together and if you find something in the field – a clue or information, Butch will decide what to do with it."  
Cop was left surprised, but nodded with agreement, when he saw that everyone else was up for this option.  
"We need to be fast, but don´t let yourself get killed, you get me? And don´t let yourself slip away too much." His gaze stopped at Zsadist, who said nothing the whole time and Z looked at V like there was a fire in blind king´s eyes and it needed to be hand over or you got burned.

Vishous heard Phury asking his brother if he was alright. Hell, if he was. Not after V had told him about the fucking dream.  
Zsadist was strong and always did what was needed to be done. It was cop´s life after all. He trusted Lethre to some point, but now when he looked at it with clear head, he couldn´t understand why he had suddenly felt that urge to tell him from all the people. Yes, he wanted to save his brothers from what he was living with since his childhood. Yes, he thought that Lethre wasn´t that attached to him so it would be easier to handle. Yes, he didn´t want someone to keep this horrible secret from his own shellan.

But if his instincts weren´t right and Marhen or his mother wanted to fuck with him after all, he would put cop´s life at stake.

Zsadist frowned at him. No, not at him, more like for his brother to see that he is only in the bad mood and wanted to be left alone, something for which was V thankful beyond any words.

After few more tactical stuff discussing, they were officially dismissed. Then Lethre came in and spent there some time before he joined them in the garage.  
"He wanted to know if there was anything new, anything I know what is ahead of us," he answered the unspoken question in Rhage´s eyes.  
"And?"  
"I don´t know. Scribe Virgin shut me off few days ago."  
"Welcome to the club," V smirked, noticing Butch shaking his head next to him.  
"Nope, it was you, V. You shut her out first."  
"Like it matters…"  
"Hey, stop that shit, we are going to have a great night hunting, so don´t ruin my mooood," Rhage sang, one pitch higher than necessary. One pitch that might get him punched.

He couldn't even know how wrong he was. No great night, no fun, no motherfuckers waiting on their last fight. The streets were empty, deserted. And brothers were angry. They searched as long as they could. They had to kick the engine hard to be back in the mansion before they were fried, but still their rage bubbled inside crying for a release. No one wanted to take that to the fucking bedroom. Gym and crazy weights were a good way how to deal with frustration.

They ended in a shower together – him and Butch. Cop kept rubbing his skin raw like he always did after he inhaled. It didn´t matter that hadn´t happened today. It was a constant thing, something he got used to and was nothing more than a routine to get clean, really clean. V hated to see that.

"Has it ever hurt you?" Butch asked suddenly. They were sitting on the couch, food and scotch in from of them and Spot playing next to Butch´s feet.  
"What?"  
"Healing."

V could say that Butch was in a dark mood, but that was probably everyone.  
"I ´ve never asked, never thought about it. But last time…"  
"Last time we were both starving."

Butch´s body jerked and he looked up to V´s face. "And before?"  
"Stop that shit, cop. I know what you´re up to. Ok, I won´t lie to you. The healing works differently each time. When everything´s okey, it´s like a warm shower, leaving me only a little tired in a good way. And there are times when you are injured or me… True, then it can hurt. But it´s not something I can´t handle, so stop thinking about it like it´s your damn fault."  
Fuck, he was grumpy as hell.

"How long have you wanted me?"  
What?  
"What´s up with those questions, cop? You wanna break up with me?

Butch´s eyes widened with shock and honest fear. "No, fuck no." He kissed him. Really long, until they were both hyperventilating.

"Ok, I believe you."  
Butch smiled against V´s mouth, slightly shaking his head. "I don´t think I deserve you." Their eyes met like two stars crashing into each other, drowning. "I promise I will never let anything happen to you. No one will hurt you, not even me."  
"Are you trying to get me into your bed?"

Butch laughed hard. "Sorry, I´m not really up for the hot stuff now, I´m pretty much wasted."  
"Yeah, me too," V agreed, " so game, alcohol and kissing?"  
"You´re fucking reading my mind, aren´t you a demi-god or something?"  
"Yes, and I can also radiate a light which could work as a personal heater, count that to my qualities."  
"What about your bad sides?"  
V faked to think about it. "I drink, I swear, I like sharp things, I have mother and dad issues, creepy dreams about people dying and this deadly hand I can fry people with. You?"  
"I´m addicted to the fashion clothes, I eat monsters and then I sometimes puke them out."  
"Cool."  
"Yeah."  
Butch eyed his glove innocently. "What about that deadly hand of yours, can it do any other things?" His eyes burned with mischief.  
"Oh, you would be surprised."

When V woke up few hours later, Butch was still quietly snoring to his shoulder, smiling even in his dream. He let him sleep and managed to escape without waking him up in order to check out on his machines in the extra time. Even in this mess and every night patrolling he was expected to keep the mansion and everyone safe.

The screen lit up to the light as he sat down. V was sure to find several notifications. He hadn´t checked his sweethearts for some time. He went through them all, finding the red one standing above everything on the top of the list.

The air got stuck somewhere between his throat and lungs.

In the whole system there was only one project which wasn´t dedicated to brotherhood, V or the mansion. It was a special because of the person who asked for keeping it. In that time he´d thought that Butch would cope with his new life a lot of better if he knew his family was safe and sound.

"I would do it myself," he´d admitted, "but it´s too big temptation, you know… the possibility to go and see them or actually talk to them. Just in the case if they need money or were in any troubles… please, V, I know I can count on you."

That same day he had immediately checked their bank accounts, bills and hired a person to keep an eye for any personal problems. Now he had a message from the guy. V double-clicked on it with a bad feeling in his guts.

There was a newspaper article and a short message about when and how.  
"Fuck," he murmured. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

"Hey, what are you doing? Why didn´t you wake me up?"  
Vishous turned on Butch, his face clearly screaming there was something horrible wrong.  
"What happened, V?"  
Fuck. Fuck. "It´s about your father."  
"What´s wrong with him… Is he… is he sick?"

He saw the exact moment when Butch realized it was much worse. He could see how he didn´t accept that option at all and waited for V to show him how stupid he was for worrying without a reason. He also saw how he broke him with that one information he gave away.

"He isn´t sick, Butch. He´s dead."

OOO

Bloodletter sat on the bed, the chosen´s eyes following his movements carefully.  
"I´m honored to serve you."  
"No," Bloodletter took her by her hand, kissing her fingers politely, "I´m honored and I´m thankful you came so quickly."  
"Of course," she replied with a smile.

Her name was Layla, beautiful young woman. She had served him once before and brotherhood respected her deeply so did he.

"I´ll take your wrist." He could sense her disappointment, when she understood there was nothing more in it than a simple need for her blood. But she quickly hid her reaction behind another encouraging nod.  
"As you please, warrior."

Bloodletter looked into her eyes and then lifted her small hand to his visible fangs, penetrating her skin as gently as he could. He drank maybe a little longer than necessary, allowing himself to ride the wave of sweet dizziness and satisfaction for the first time he was back. The blood warmed him all over, playing with his senses and head.

When he looked at her again, she was different. Not a face he met before. No. It was even more beautiful.

Dark eyes behind long lashes, fair skin and full lips parted and prepared to kiss, her hair brown and blonde curling down her back and stare so strong she could see his very soul. He whispered her name, his heart skipping some beats. He loved her. Oh, he loved her so much.

She didn´t refuse his hands holding onto her or pulling her closer. Or his mouth finding hers. He put her on the bed and let her took his throat while he tore her robe away, hungry, still so hungry…

"I missed you so much, leelan."


	36. Chapter 36

They remained in silence behind an old oak. V´s mhis surrounded them the first moment they´d arrived and placed the illusion upon that part of the graveyard. They weren´t touching, merely standing one behind another to provide a support. V remembered Butch´s haunted look very well back in the mansion. The man needed his space. So he let him stare at his father´s grave and take it all in.

A dark figure was setting flowers on the fresh digged clay. There will be a green grass very soon. It was Butch´s mother not aware of their presence. She wasn´t crying, but neither was Butch and there was no trace of his other siblings. Perhaps the old man wasn´t popular among them either. That would suit Butch´s description of him.

"You know, it´s not like we were any close," Butch finally started to talk still looking at the moving figure in front of him. "It was even worse after my sister…" There was a sharp end to the sentence indicating that cop wasn´t about to finish it. It was the old scar never healing properly. "He kept his distance as my siblings did, making me believe I was truly a monster."

V gritted his teeth, but didn´t speak up. He knew that cop no more saw himself as a disappointment, not worthy of other´s respect and love. This was just a simple statement of how things were before.

"I don´t really know why I´m feeling this way. It´s irrational. It´s just that… I had never a chance to do something… No, no. I had it. But now it is gone. Always thinking there was a time to deal with it later." He gazed up to the sky, exhaling slowly the puff of warm air into the night. "I guess the time really passes differently out here and I chose to forget about it."

"Do you regret it? Leaving them?" V found himself asking, cursing in his thoughts.

Butch turned on his heels so quickly he almost crashed right into V´s face.  
"If I regret having a loving family, a big house, six-pack on my stomach and you in my bed? I don´t think so. No." There was a hint of a smile playing on his lips.  
"Good."  
"Surprised I don´t miss any part of my old life? I practically do the same job, right?"  
"Life isn´t just about the job," how hypocritically that sounded from him, "it´s also about this. It´s not the last time you are going to experience loss, Butch. You´ll see your siblings die and their children and the children of their children…"  
"Yeah, I get it."  
"But you won´t have any children while you stay with me." Damn it. He wasn´t supposed to talk about this right now and here.  
"That´s what you´re worried about?"  
V searched for cop´s eyes in the dark.  
"I´m hardly a father material, V. And if I would have really stayed here with them? I would have been dead by now. Bullet in the head or alcohol poisoning. No happy family life for me."

Bullet in the head.

V fought away the image from his vision. He only wanted cop to be okey, to be balanced, so that scene would never come true. After a while he took a deep breath and let the mhis vanish into the thin air. Butch noticed immediately.  
"What are you doing, V?" he asked alarmed, turning in the way of his father´s grave and freezing.

There she stood, looking straight at him with wet, confused eyes. His mother. His chance to do things right. To end things right – he realized. That was what Vishous offered. He swallowed the bump in his throat expecting his mother to run away screaming at any moment.

It was a mistake to think so.

"Butch?" a silent, yet high pitched voice asked, "is that really you?"  
Ha gave Vishous a quick look and then made a careful step forward towards the light of the nearby street lamp.  
"It´s me, mom."  
"But how?" she cried out. One heartbeat later he was in her arms receiving the warmest and strongest embrace he´d ever experienced from her.  
"We thought you were dead. Oh, my god." She took his face in her hands and looked him over. "You look so good, my son. So good. So healthy."

Taking in her reaction he´d had to be in a far worse shape back then than he originally thought.

"So strong, my boy. Like your father. Did you come home?"  
She looked so happy to see him that it made him truly smile at her. That was how home should have felt like when he was a child. But that was in the past. He wouldn´t lie to her now.  
"No, mom." Glancing back at Vishous he continued: "I´m here only for dad. Only tonight."  
Her smile wavered, but didn´t disappear as she hugged him once more.

"I´m okey, mom. I have everything I need. I´m happy." He took her by her shoulders, gently.  
"We won´t see each other again. I came to say goodbye."

Oh, how he dreamt to say those words instead of just vanishing from their world. And now it filled him with peace.  
"Please say hi to everyone from me."  
"Are you safe, Butch? Really safe?" The pain and regret in her eyes was tearing him apart. He didn´t remember her this way. He grabbed Vishous by his forearm and pulled him closer.  
"This is Vishous, mom. We are together. He keeps me safe." No more lies.

He knew that she couldn´t agree, not until her beloved God would somehow explain that it was okey to be with whoever you want. Whoever that makes you a better person. But she tried. It was enough for him.  
"Good. Then all is how it should be."

Surprised by her acceptance Butch felt like a tone of rock have just fallen from his chest. He felt whole. Like he´s just closed and sealed one chapter of his life to start fully enjoy the new one. He gazed one last time at his father´s grave enlighten by numerous candles. It was like a beacon gathering lost souls. He did something for his son after all and for that Butch won´t hate him forever. Maybe for some time. But not forever.

OOO

They arrived at the mansion few hours later, both of them feeling the need to get on their patrol as soon as possible. Vishous couldn´t stop thinking about how well the fate played it today. They were lucky that Butch could meet his mother in private. Was it a coincidence that V read the message late enough to miss the funeral? In the car cop had admitted that he felt very good to do this even despite it might cause them troubles with the king. He´d even thanked V for "pushing" him out of the fog – quite literally.

They decided to get something to eat first. Pit´s fridge was as empty as it could be. Thank you very much, Spot. Even Fritz wasn´t prepared to fill it this soon. He couldn´t really know that their small evil dog had such a huge appetite.

They were on the way to the common kitchen, cop talking about his new gun, when they heard a panicked voice calling for help. V rushed to the stairs as he recognized it immediately. They discovered Layla there, breathing hard with the hand on her chest and flushed in her cheeks from running.  
"What happened?"

There was probably no one else in the mansion at the moment, at least not close enough to hear her shouting. Wrath´s office was too far, Fritz and stuff probably preparing a meal and brothers working in the streets.  
He and Butch were the only one granted a permission to miss a patrol. Only them and… Lethre, who had a strict order to stay behind and feed as he was almost so stubborn and careless as him and cop. He´d suffered some minor injuries last time they were fighting and without blood his body wasn´t healing properly.

That had to be it. Something wrong with Lethre. Damn it, if he hurt that girl in any way.

He scanned Layla up and down and growled when he realized that her dress and hair were too messy for his liking.  
"Tell us what happened. We will protect you." Please, let it not be so… They trusted the man maybe too much. How could they leave him alone with chosen without a supervision?  
Layla shook her head, eyes darting from Butch to him.  
"No, you misunderstood. I know what you think. He didn´t hurt me. He fed and then he showed a passion for me."  
"That sonofabitch," Butch cursed already moving towards the stairs. "I´ll kill him."

Layla quickly grabbed his hand.  
"I wanted it. He desired me and I desired him back." Butch let his temper drop a little. Yes, that could be true. Lethre sometimes reminded him of Rhage with his face and built and everything, the only difference was while Hollywood realized his obvious attraction, the man did not.

Layla frowned while explaining further. "There was something wrong with him afterwards. He called me by some other name and said strange things. And after it all ended he suddenly looked scared, confused, asking who I was and what happened…" She looked up at Butch. "I don´t think it was me who he saw that entire time." She sounded almost sad. "He asked me to leave so I did, but I´m afraid. He looked so…"

That was quite enough information for now. They separated. Butch took Layla gently by her hand and led her away to calm her down and ask more later. V went straight for Lethre´s room. He tried to remember Marhen´s words while walking. Scribe Virgin. She had taken something from the man, that was what Marhen had said. Rhage being drunk had mentioned that Lethre often dreamt about some woman. Was it the case? Was it her haunting him now?"

He stepped into the room, finding it empty. He reached a bathroom next. Just as he expected, Lethre was there sitting on the floor with his back to the bathtub and with nasty bleeding cuts on his right hand. He gazed at Vishous but then dropped his stare not saying a single word.  
V walked around the broken glass and got first-aid on his way there. Nowadays it was placed in every room under the sink.

"Let me see that."  
Lethre didn´t fight him on that matter. He let V clean the wound without a hiss and wrap it into few layers of a bandage.  
"So, you want to talk? Layla was worried about you."  
"Tell her I´m sorry. I won´t approach her again."  
"She´s alright. No reason for that," V said sitting down as well. He intended to draw something from the man.  
"Look, either you tell me what´s wrong and we may find a solution together or this keeps happening. Trust me." His visions. His headaches. They didn´t go away, but experiencing it all with cop helped him a lot. Even if there was no easy "solution" for him.

Lethre maybe wasn´t one to get bullied into talks he didn´t want to have, but he was smart. Smart enough to recognize what V had realized himself.  
"I had a woman… once," he started after all proving V´s assumptions right. "But I can´t remember her properly, our time together. So I see her in my dreams, but I can hardly remember them later. Now I can see her even when I´m not sleeping." He wiped his eyes with resignation. "I think I´m going crazy."

They were both quiet, Vishous absorbing what was said.  
"Did you love her?"  
"Yes, I still do." V saw no lie in his eyes, they were like a surface of the ocean. The man simply knew that, even when he didn´t understand it. It was a raw emotion, Vishous recognized.  
"Would remembering her help?"  
Lethre shook his head. "I don´t really know. It may push me over the edge or pull me back. But it would be something."  
V smiled absently after a while. "Then I have an idea." He had his attention. "It won´t be easy and there will be some law breaking involved."  
Lethre gave him a serious look. "Nothing new then."

Greeting to all who are still reading and especially to Twin! :) Thank you for being still here and waiting for my return. This chapter is well deserved. Please enjoy. I´m deeply sorry about your dad. If you still want to talk outside of this review section, please send me your e-mail address. :)


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